Data from the WA Child Development Atlas revealed alarmingly high rates of child dental hospitalisations in a Central Great Southern community, prompting a prioritisation of child dental health as a critical area for intervention. The data not only highlighted the severity of dental issues among young children but also exposed a significant gap in access to timely and appropriate dental care, particularly for children aged 0-5. In response, the community launched the ‘Dental Project’, a targeted initiative designed to address these disparities and improve oral health outcomes.

This initiative advocated for the provision of low or no-cost dental screenings and treatment for children aged 0-5, and the establishment of a local dental service. Leveraging data from the Atlas, the community highlighted the critical need for services aimed at preventing dental issues and promoting oral health within the community. As a result of this coordinated effort, Amity Health, with the support of the Early Years Partnership secured funding to deliver the Central Great Southern Dental Health Project. A key feature of the initiative was its outreach model, which aimed to meet children where they lived, learned, and played. Rather than requiring families to travel to clinical facilities, a paediatric dentist and final-year dental students visited familiar environments such as daycare centres, playgroups, and kindergartens.