Data from the WA Child Development Atlas revealed alarmingly high rates of child dental hospitalisations in the Central Great Southern, one of the four Early Years Partnership (EYP) communities. Dental health had been a persistent local concern for young children in the community, and Atlas data was used alongside community consultation, other health surveillance data, and local service knowledge to build the evidence base needed to advocate for prioritisation of child dental health in the area.

The data not only highlighted the severity of the issue compared to other parts of the state, but also exposed a significant gap in access to timely and appropriate dental care, particularly for children aged 0-5. In response, the community with support from EYP developed a targeted initiative designed to reduce barriers to accessing oral health care, including cost, travel and accommodation, and dentist availability.

The Atlas evidence was critical in strengthening the case for action - by leveraging this data, the community were able to advocate 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 providing urgent dental procedures. 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 from UWA visited familiar environments such as daycare centres, playgroups, and kindergartens.

This spotlights the Atlas' practical application in supporting local service planning - helping communities move from recognised need to a targeted service response by providing a robust evidence base.