Thursday, 23 March 2023

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Medical Research) (14:08): I rise to update the house on how every Victorian government school has been invited to participate in the Andrews Labor government’s transformational Smile Squad program. This includes of course students from Glenroy Central Primary School, who the member for Broadmeadows and I had the pleasure of visiting earlier this week. Good dental health should be available for all Victorians, not just those who can afford it, and we know that dental conditions are the highest cause of preventable hospital admissions in zero to nine-year-olds. That is why in the biggest commitment ever to preventative oral health care in our state’s history we have invested $321.9 million into our Smile Squad program.

Smile Squad delivers free check-ups and treatment, including oral health education, teeth cleaning, fluoride application, fillings and root canals, as well as toothbrushes, toothpaste and a drink bottle to support drinking tap water at home. This program is not only good for the health of our children; it is also great news for family budgets, with estimates that Smile Squad will save families around $400 for every child every year. I am proud of our track record on delivering free dental care for our 632,000 Victorian government students who have each been offered the opportunity to participate in the program. In further good news work is already underway to deliver on our commitment to make Smile Squad available in low-fee independent and Catholic schools across the state. Smile Squad will also free up 100,000 public dental places that will drive down our waiting list for important oral health care.