Flying Doctors To Provide Dental Care For Remote Communities
The Royal Flying Doctor Service has revealed plans to provide dental services for remote communities; a dentist employed by the RFDS will travel to communities including Sapphire, Blackall, Clermont, Winton, Hughenden, Moranbah, Mount Isa, Camooweal and Richmond, from the Townsville base.
Chief executive of RFDS Queensland, Nino DiMarco, says that the frequency of the service will depend heavily on demand and organisers will get a better idea of this when they start to take appointments for the service. DiMarco said that the service may be available two or three days a week or month depending on how many people want to see a dentist.
DiMarco added that at the moment many people living in the communities that will be served by the new service do not currently have access to a dentist at all and this has contributed to poor standards of oral health and general health in the area. Mr DiMarco said that there was evidence of a clear connection between poor oral health and poor general health and therefore the new service is an important addition to health services in the region.
Mr DiMarco said that access to healthcare is poor in remote areas compared to urban areas and he hopes that the launch of the Royal Flying Doctor Service will help to improve standards of care and standards of oral health in the area.
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