New multi-million-dollar dental clinic to open in South Auckland

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A brand new, state of the art dental clinic is set to open in South Auckland. The new facility, which will cost in the region of $28.2 million, will be located in Manukau.

News of the development has been warmly welcomed by health minister Dr David Clark. There has been a great deal of media attention on dental services in New Zealand of late, and the new facility will make a positive difference to local patients who may have been struggling to access the care they need. The two-storey centre will be part of the University of Otago, and it will offer training facilities for students, as well as treatment for patients living in the local area.

The clinic will be built on land that is owned by the district health board and there will be a total of 32 chairs.

Professor Harlene Hayne, vice-chancellor of the university, said that the centre would make a real difference to local dental patients by providing community-based services. The Division of Health Sciences’ pro-vice-chancellor, Prof Paul Brunton, described the move as a ‘win-win’ situation for patients and the university, as people will have access to first-class facilities and the best dental treatment, and students will gain valuable real-life experience.

The latest statistics from the New Zealand Health Survey show that less than half of adults visited a dentist in the last 12 months. The national average was 48 percent, but the figure fell to 34 percent in deprived areas.

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