Dental clinic opened at Woy Woy

NSW Health Minister Mr Craig Knowles recently opened the new Woy Woy Dental Clinic at Woy Woy Hospital.

The clinic will be open to all children and to adults holding a Health Care card, Pensioner Benefits card, or a Commonwealth Seniors health card.

Clinical director of Oral Health Services with Central Coast Health, Dr Brian Redmayne, said: "There used to be a two-surgery clinic on the old Woy Woy Infants School site.

"This four-surgery centre is replacing that old clinic.

"To access services you will have to phone through to Oral Health Services central intake, which then runs you through a NSW Health standardised questionnaire.

"The questions give you a priority for assessment, and then depending upon a clinical assessment, your treatment needs are also prioritised.

"The treatment is then either done in our clinics or you are given a voucher to take to a private dentist," Dr Redmayne said.

Waiting times are dependent on the clinical needs of the patients, with severe emergencies being seen to the same day, and non-specific check-ups taking up to 12 months.

Mr Knowles said: "I was here just a few weeks ago as the primary building work was being completed and I'm proud to be on the Central Coast to perform the official opening.

"Final detailing is still underway and in just a couple of weeks the Central Coast Area Health Service will be booking patients in to this much needed service."

"Several years ago John Howard's Commonwealth Government decimated public dentistry by discontinuing the Commonwealth Dental Program and instead now he spends around $250 million on cosmetic dentistry by private health insurance.

"This unit is part of the Carr Government's efforts to rebuild public dentistry in this state and to fill that gap."

Mr Knowles said the $750,000 purpose-built unit would house four dental chairs and a laboratory to manufacture dental prosthetics.

"We project that an additional 10,000 services will be provided across the Centra! Coast as a result of this investment.

"Children, adults and older people will now have access to dental services close to home, rather than having to travel to Gosford for assessment and treatment.

"I can't say that it will make going to the dentist an enjoyable experience, but this is a unit which offers the best in comfort and quality care."

Jonathan Reichard, press release, February 14