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Health and Community Services
December 29, 2011

Operation Tooth Continues to Bring Smiles

Access to vital dental services for children continues to be enhanced through the Operation Tooth program of the Department of Health and Community Services. Launched in 2008, the program has helped 543 children in rural areas of the province requiring specialist dental surgery who were waitlisted at the Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre. By bringing services to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Gander and Burin, this program has provided specialized dental care closer to families’ homes and has helped remove the financial barriers associated with accessing this care.

“This is a great initiative that demonstrates how innovative thinking, cooperation and the collective will to deliver essential health care services is improving the lives of so many children in our province,” said the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Health and Community Services. “The regional delivery of this program allows children and their families to stay closer to their homes. This helps alleviate the stress of travel, finding accommodations and ensuring that their family at home is cared for. Our government is very proud of the success of this program, and we commend the ongoing collaboration between the regional health authorities and paediatric dentist Dr. Geoff Smith.”

The Operation Tooth initiative improves access to paediatric dental services by bringing the dentist to the patient. Since it was implemented, 17 sessions have taken place in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Gander and Burin. The most recent visit to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, which took place November 21 to 25, saw 35 children receive vital dental treatment.

The success of Operation Tooth depends greatly on the collaborative approach between the paediatric surgical dentist and the surgeons and regional health authorities who provide operating room hours, an anaesthesiologist, nursing and support staff.

“My association with Operation Tooth is a source of immense personal satisfaction,” said Dr. Smith. “Being able to bring specialist dental services to children in need, children in pain and children without the financial resources to travel is one of the most satisfying accomplishments of my professional career.”

In Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador approximately $10.1 million was allocated for the Newfoundland and Labrador Dental Health Program, including $200,000 for Operation Tooth. This program has helped reduce the paediatric surgical wait list and has provided care to 320 children in Labrador, 140 children in the Gander region and 83 children on the Burin Peninsula.

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Media contacts:
 
Jennifer Tulk
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 699-6524
jennifertulk@gov.nl.ca
Zelda Burt
Media Relations Manager
Eastern Health
709-777-1339
Zelda.Burt@easternhealth.ca 

2011 12 29             11:15 a.m.

 

 
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