Hi-5 - Dental Health Services Victoria · These habits include brushing teeth twice a day with a...

/ 1Oralhealth for better health 2012

FOR BETTER HEALTH

DENTAL HEALTH SERVICES VICTORIA QUALITY OF CARE REPORT 2012 Follow us on Twitter! www.twitter.com/_dhsv

SMILES 4 MILESImproving the dental health of Victoria’s children

What’s really in that drink?

Think twice before you take a sip

How our Smile of the Year award winners

keep smiling!

Hi-5

WIN A FAMILY PASS TO THE MOVIES! See inside for details

WIN A FAMILY PASS

�i�ers insi�Hi-5

2 / Oralhealth for better health 2012 / 3Oralhealth for better health 2012

CEO Message

A recent study by the Brotherhood of St Lawrence found that at least 600,000 school days are lost each year in Australia because of poor dental health. It also found that children in low income areas had 70% more decay than children in high income areas. At DHSV, we are passionate about improving these numbers so that our youngest community members can live happier and healthier lives.

That’s why we chose to focus on the dental health of toddlers and preschoolers in this year’s magazine. Children pick up habits – both good and bad – when they are very young. If children learn good dental habits early on, they will carry these through to their adult lives. These habits include brushing teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, drinking lots of fluoridated tap water, eating healthy foods and getting regular dental check-ups. These simple things can help lower the level of tooth decay and gum disease that we see among Victorian children and help them lead happier, healthier and more productive lives.

The DHSV Community Advisory Committee (CAC) chose Hi-5 as the 2012 Smile of the Year award winners because they are positive role models for young children.

Chair of the CAC, Kellie-Ann Jolly says the group were perfect for the award.

“ Hi-5 encourages children to be happy and healthy. They know how important it is for children to look after their teeth and gums and are passionate about spreading dental health messages to the community.”

Hi-5 member Stevie said “We were very excited to be chosen as the Smile of the Year award winners and that means we can share sparkly teeth secrets with you! Cleaning your teeth twice a day, having regular dental check-ups and drinking lots of water – it’s so easy!”

Welcome to the 2012 edition of our Oral Health for Better Health magazine.

The Hi-5 team share their smiles with children all over the world so we thought they were the perfect choice for our 2012 Smile of the Year award. Hi-5 have been entertaining young audiences since 1999. Stevie, Casey, Fely, Lauren and Tim are adored for their vibrant mix of music, stories, imagination and adventure. Their shows include fun songs, energetic dances and colourful stories that kids love.

Hi-5 have lots of energy because they live very healthy lives. They drink lots of water, eat lots of healthy food and brush their teeth twice a day. They also get lots of exercise by dancing and going to the gym.

In addition to promoting healthy habits, our dedicated staff are also working on how we can improve the services we provide to the community. We are currently using evidence from research to find new ways to prevent tooth decay before it becomes a problem. We hope that you will see the benefits of these projects very soon.

We are thrilled to have Hi-5, our Smile of the Year award winners, featured in Oral Health for Better Health this year. This magazine also includes important information about how we are performing and the improvements we have made so far at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne.

We hope that you enjoy this year’s magazine, and remember – oral health for better health!

Dr Deborah Cole Chief Executive Officer

“ We want our Hi-5ers to be healthy and active too, so dance, skip, run and play whenever you can!”

Casey said she wanted children to know that healthy eating can be fun.

“ Fresh fruit and veggies are yummy, and there are lots of ways to make eating them fun! Try making a face with your fruit or a whole veggie man to enjoy!”

“ All of us at Hi-5 want you to Eat Well, Drink Well and Clean Well every day. Your teeth and mouths are so important, so take good care of them!”

Thank you to Hi-5 for accepting our Smile of the Year award and for spreading happiness and healthy messages to our youngest community members.

ET ARTE ET MARTE

Smile of the Year Award

Hi-5 - Our healthy smile a�assa�rs!

We acknowledge the traditional owners of Australia and we welcome all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to our services.

FOR BETTER HEALTH

Features

03

Hi- 5Our 2012 Smile of the Year award winners want kids to take good care of their mouths!

What's in that drink?How to make healthier drink choices for you and your family.

Celebrating DiversityHow we celebrate and respect our diverse community.

Meet the teamFind out who's who at the hospital.

Ask Professor MikeSome great tips about looking after children's oral health.

04 16

07

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/ 5Oralhealth for better health 20124 / Oralhealth for better health 2012

Why sweet drinks are not good for your child’s health

what’s in that drink?

The best drinks for your childTap water is the best drink for your child, especially if it contains fluoride. Water helps your child to:

stay hydrated which can help them concentrate.

keep the right body temperature.

have regular bowel movements.

Plain milk is also a good choice for children as long as you don’t give them more than three glasses per day. Plain milk has lots of calcium, but fluoridated tap water should always be your first choice.

What’s wrong with fruit juice?Even though juices are made from fruit, it doesn’t mean they are healthy. The truth is that fruit juices contain a lot of sugar. It takes four oranges to make one small glass of orange juice - that means one small glass of orange juice has four times as much sugar as a whole orange! Having the whole piece of fruit and a glass of water is a much better choice.

A whole piece of fresh fruit is also a better choice because:

The pulp section of the fruit (which is removed in juicing) contains fibre and helps prevent constipation.

Your child will be fuller for longer after eating a whole piece of fruit.

Chewing is good for your child’s teeth.

My child loves sweet drinks. What can I do?Don’t give up. Encourage your child to drink water rather than sweet drinks. This can be hard, but remember children can only drink what is given to them. Here are some tips that might help:

Try not to keep sweet drinks in the house.

Set a good example. Don’t drink too many sweet drinks yourself and drink lots of tap water.

Give your child fewer sweet drinks each day until you can stop them altogether.

Add some slices of fruit (watermelon or strawberries) to a glass of water instead of giving your child a sweet drink.

Buy a water bottle that your child likes and encourage them to fill it up throughout the day.

If you do continue to give your child sweet drinks, try only giving them one small glass on special occasions. It is important that your child doesn’t get into the habit of drinking sweet drinks all the time.

Your child may be upset at first but will get into the habit of not drinking sweet drinks. Be patient and remember that you are doing the best thing for their health.

Your child might enjoy sweet drinks but fruit juices, soft drinks, flavoured waters, energy drinks, cordials and flavoured milks are not good for their health. Drinking too many sweet drinks can lead to tooth decay. It can also cause obesity, diarrhoea, reduced appetite and make your child a fussy eater.

SWAP THiS: FOR THiS:lunch time swap it!It’s not just drinks that contain hidden sugars. Try swapping some of these sweet lunch options for low sugar options:

Fruit juice, chocolate sandwich on white bread, muesli bar, dried fruit

Piece of fruit or water, ham and salad in wholegrain wrap, carrot sticks and cheese cubes.

375ml can of soft drink

600ml bottle of sports drink

300ml carton of flavoured milk

250ml apple fruit juice

250ml fruit flavoured cordial

HOW mUCH SUGAR iS iN THAT DRiNK?

Source: Go For Your Life, Victorian Government

=

=

=

=

=

11 teaspoons of sugar





Did you know? Tooth decay is five times more common than asthma among children.

Did you know? Most of the sugar that Australians consume comes from sweet drinks. Children and adolescents drink more sweet drinks than any other age groups.

Did you know? Fluoride helps to protect teeth against decay. Most Victorian water supplies contain fluoride so it’s better to drink tap water instead of buying bottled water. Fluoride does not have a taste or smell and doesn’t change the taste of your tap water.


The Smiles 4 Miles program is helping to change children’s eating, drinking and brushing habits to prevent dental diseases like tooth decay and gum disease.

How do we know the program is working? Studies show that sweet drinks and sweet foods are not eaten as often in Smiles 4 Miles early childhood services. We have also found that children involved in the program are more likely to visit a dental professional for check-ups and care.

Smiles 4 Miles focuses on three simple messages for children:

Eat well – Enjoy lots of healthy foods

Drink well – Drink lots of fluoridated tap water

Clean well – Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.

The program uses the popular Defenders of the Tooth characters (Brush Boy, Munch Girl and Water Boy) to promote these messages. DHSV is proud of the work Smiles 4 Miles is doing to help children and their families take better care of their mouths.

Name Balinda Petrovska

Job titleOral Health Therapist

Training/Education Bachelor of Oral Health Science,

La Trobe University, Bendigo

RoleTreating the dental needs of children and adolescents up to the age of 18 and working with dentists to maintain the oral health of their patients.

Location in hospitalLevel 1, General Dental Care Unit

Best part of my jobGetting children to enjoy their dental visits, especially when they are really nervous!

NameDiane Delves

Job titleClerical Support Officer

Training and Education Certificate IV in Office Administration

in Business

Certificate IV in Training and Assessment

Division 2 Nurse (12 years)

RoleSetting up appointments with oral health therapists, organising files for clinical staff, switchboard support.

Location in hospitalLevel 1, General Dental Care Unit

Best part of my jobI have my own desk among a lovely group of co-workers. I have very caring managers and a nurturing environment. Plus, I like all the training I receive, it gives me the confidence I need to carry out my role. I feel I can do anything!

NameHeather Phillips

Job titleSenior Instrument Technician

Training and education Certificate III in Sterilisation Services Certificate IV in Supervision

RoleMentoring, educating and liaising with other clinical staff as well as ordering instruments and other equipment. I am always trying to improve work flow and the quality of work.

Location in hospitalLevel 4, Central Sterilising Services Department

Best part of my jobWorking in a good team environment. I enjoy working at RDHM and addressing the challenges we face every day.

Vi�orian ki�for milessmile

Smiles 4 Miles is a health promotion program that teaches children how to keep their mouths and bodies healthy. Smiles 4 Miles coordinators work with teachers and carers to provide information about good dental health to children and their families. The program currently reaches around 25,000 children through 450 kindergartens and early childhood centres across Victoria.

Oral health therapist, Katharine teaches mum Shelley and Finn how to brush their teeth well at Knox Community Health Service

�ntal teamMeet some of the We don’t just have dentists working at

The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne. Lots of different people work together to make sure you get the best care possible. Meet a few of our team!

Did you know? Dental hygienists, dental therapists and oral health therapists make decisions autonomously in areas that they have been formally trained and educated in. They can treat adults over the age of 18 if they have an extended scope of practice.

Your feedbackLast year over 95% of the readers who responded to our survey found this magazine easy to read. More than 86% learned something new about dental health.

Our most popular articles were about dental health during pregnancy, Minimal Intervention Dentistry and profiles of the people who work at the hospital. About 53% of our readers said they would like more information about our services and how to look after their dental health. There were also plenty of great suggestions about how to improve our magazine in the future. The sticker page and dental dictionary included in this magazine are just two of those great suggestions! We’ve kept our top tips from Professor Mike due to popular demand and have included more information about some of the great projects we’re working on.

If you want to tell us what you think of Oral Health for Better Health and be in the running to win some movie tickets, please fill out the form in the centre of this magazine.


patients’ nee�Treating people with a disabilityThe Department of Human Services (DHS) and DHSV have developed a DVD to help dental professionals learn how to best treat patients with special needs.

Called Filling the Gap: Strategies for oral health professionals treating people with disabilities, the DVD aims to dispel the myth that people with a disability are hard to treat. It gives dental professionals great advice about how to work more effectively with people with a disability, their carers and their families.

The DVD was finished late in 2011 and is now available on YouTube and the DHSV website – www.dhsv.org.au.

Kyle Cheng, a Bachelor of Oral Health student at La Trobe University says the film helped him to improve the way he treats patients.

“After watching this film, my approach to treating patients with a disability has changed to be more patient-oriented. I now know that I will need to be very patient and focus on the initial contact so that the patient will be comfortable. I need to step out of my comfort zone and recognise that the rewards outweigh the challenges.”

We asked our participating dental professionals how they would do things differently in their clinics after watching the film and have had a lot of positive feedback. Some ideas were:

“ Allow more time for the appointment. This will allow you to take your time to get to know the patient.” - Manar Maroky, Dental Therapist, MonashLink Community Health Service

“ Dress down. Gloves, masks and glasses can be intimidating for patients. Explain the equipment to the patient and explain the procedure slowly. Make sure you have plenty of time to go through questions with the patient." - Rachel, Dental Assistant, MonashLink Community Health Service

“ Tune in to surrounds and identify anything other clinicians may not notice during treatment. Communicate with carers and comfort the patient.” - Jennifer Burls, Dental Assistant, Goulburn Valley Health

The DVD is now being taken to conferences around Australia to show other health professionals how they can better connect with patients with a disability.

Treating children and toddlersDHSV has developed training programs to improve the care provided to very young children in community dental clinics. The programs focus on building the confidence of dental professionals when treating young children.

Dr Ksenija Jankovich from Darebin Community Health Centre at East Reservoir says she really learned a lot from the course.

“ The lectures were interesting, relevant and up-to-date. The atmosphere was friendly and the lecturers were approachable and happy to answer any questions. I gained more confidence in providing complex treatment to preschoolers and it increased my awareness of what is available at DHSV,” Dr Jankovich says.

“ I am now equipped with the tools to provide information about dietary habits and other preventative measures to parents. I would definitely recommend this course to any dental team involved in the treatment of children!”

We want to make our dental professionals the best that they can be by continuing to train them and improve their skills. This helps to improve everyone’s experience of receiving dental treatment with us.

Training�ntal professionalsto be�er meet our

Manager Specialist Care, Monika Cutri with Brian who is featured in the DVD

Did you know?A lot of people think that children only need to have a dental check-up when they start going to school. That’s not the case. Children should have a dental assessment by the age of two.

Did you know? People with an intellectual disability have worse oral health than people without a disability. They also have more general health problems and experience more barriers to finding and receiving care.

2007-08 2011-122010-110

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Year

Complaints per financial year

291

339

379

2009-10

317

2008-09

264

2006-07

282

Patient rightsConfidentiality and access to personal information

FacilitiesThe buildings and the way they work, including car parking and getting in, out and around

AdministrationMistakes or problems with forms or paperwork

CostCost of treatment

TreatmentIf the treatment was not good enough or if it was different to what you were expecting

Customer serviceAttitude of staff, not enough information or information that was incorrect

AccessWaiting times, delays in treatment

Complaints by category in 2011-12


If you visit The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne, you will notice that we have new Patient Experience Trackers, or PETs as we like to call them. We use these computer terminals to collect feedback from our patients and visitors. We are using this feedback to improve our services at DHSV, so please take some time to tell us how we’re doing.

You can also provide feedback by:

calling us on (03) 9341 1000

filling out a feedback form at the hospital

completing the feedback form on the DHSV website www.dhsv.org.au > Patient Information > Give Feedback

sending a letter to the address on the back of this magazine.

Our Quality team responds to all feedback and uses the information to make our services better. We also love to hear about what we are doing well, so feel free to compliment us!

Community Advisory Committee member, Sharon King-Harris shows patient Aaron our new Patient Experience Trackers

Improving Emergency Services at the hospitalOur patients have told us that the Emergency Department (ED) at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne can be hard to find. They also say our customer service could be better and that sometimes it can be difficult to access care.

So, to improve your visit to the ED, we have started looking at new ways of doings things.

Our Emergency Services Model of Care project is looking at the patient journey through the ED – from when you first arrive to when you leave. The project team has met with patients, staff and other groups to help them understand what patients need and how we can make improvements.

We know you will see some big improvements in our ED over the coming year. Once this project is finished, we will be looking at how we can improve other parts of the hospital as well.

We want to provide the best service possible so you can keep smiling.

Our work paves the way for future smilesThe DHSV team is working hard to find new ways to treat tooth decay and gum disease. The team is currently trying out a new technique for fitting stainless steel crowns to children’s teeth. The technique is called the Hall Technique and it involves fitting a cap to a child’s decaying baby tooth to stop the decay from spreading to the rest of the mouth. The cap falls out when the child’s baby tooth falls out naturally. The team are hoping that this will reduce the number of children that need dental treatment under general anaesthetic.

for milesNew PETsthey think

help our patientstell us what

“ I would like to compliment your staff in the Day Surgery Unit for looking after my son who has an intellectual disability. The anaesthetist was very caring and understanding, as was the nurse. The patience shown by all towards us made the experience as pleasant as possible.” – George (Glenroy)

“ The staff, surgeons, theatre people and everyone I have met have been absolutely brilliant. Couldn’t have got better treatment anywhere else. Fantastic job.” – Cindy (Ringwood)

“ Staff were very friendly and helpful. I was treated by two different dentists over two days and I would sincerely like to thank them both for their caring nature. Everything was explained to me and the dentists and dental assistants were really friendly and made me feel comfortable, even though they were busy. Thank you.” – Leanne (Point Cook)

“ My grandson had day surgery to remove some teeth. From reception to the recovery room was a calming, friendly, caring experience for a very anxious mum, nana and child. I would like to thank all the staff for their lovely caring that they did for all of us. You are a credit to the hospital. Thank you all so very much.” – Samantha

“ You did a remarkable job under difficult circumstances and due to that I believe my son has now conquered his fear.” – Lyn (Aberfeldie)

YOU SAID IT!

Did you know? Dental problems are the most common reason for preventable hospital admissions in Australian children.

In 2011-12, we received 379 complaints relating to a variety of issues. We are working hard to address these problems based on your feedback.


Teeth retreated within six months of restorationWe keep records on the number of teeth that need refilling less than six months after we put the filling in. DHSV provided fillings to 16,523 teeth in 2011 and only 1,005 fillings needed to be replaced, a great improvement on last year’s results.

Repeat endodontic treatment within six monthsApproximately one in every hundred patients that had endodontic (root canal) treatment needed to have this treatment re-done within six months.

Extraction within 12 months of endodontic treatmentLess than three in every hundred patients that had endodontic (root canal) treatment needed to have these teeth extracted within 12 months.

Unplanned return within seven days after extractionLess than one in every hundred patients we see has to come back unexpectedly to see us after a tooth is taken out.

Dentures remade within 12 monthsWe made 1,137 dentures for patients during 2010-11. Of these, just over 20 needed to be remade within 12 months.

Fissure sealed teeth resealed within two yearsFissure sealants are plastic coatings applied to grooves of the tooth to help prevent tooth decay. We sealed 2,497 teeth in 2009-10 and only 5% of people needed to come back and have them done again in the next two years.

how well did we do?Dental Health Services Victoria reviewed for 2011-12

DHSV collects data on the services we provide. We look at whether patients have come back unexpectedly for further treatment and try to find out why. This helps us to improve the quality of our services. In most cases we judge our results against targets set by the Department of Health.

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

Year

Teeth retreated within six months of restoration

2008 2011201020090%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

Year

Unplanned return within seven days after extraction

2008-09 2011-122010-112009-10

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

Year

Repeat endodontic treatment within six months

2008 201120102009

0.00%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

Year

Dentures remade within 12 months

2007-08 2010-112009-102008-09

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

Year

Extraction within 12 months of endodontic treatment

2007-08 2010-112009-102008-090%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

Year

Fissure sealed teeth resealed within two years

2007-08 2009-102008-09


Hand hygieneOverall, our hand hygiene compliance is higher than it was for the whole of 2010 and 2011. The spike in early 2011 and 2012 is due to student pre-clinic education about hand hygiene.

The graph shows how continuous education has helped us improve compliance levels.

Fissure sealed teeth restored or extracted within two yearsOf the 2,497 teeth that were fissure sealed during 2009-10, less than three in every hundred had to be filled or taken out within the next two years.

Teeth extracted within six months after pulpotomy treatmentPulpotomy is the removal of the diseased part of the tooth nerve. Last year we performed 306 pulpotomy treatments with less than two in every hundred teeth needing to be taken out within six months.

Cleaning and maintenanceWe have several audits throughout the year to rate how clean our hospital is. By the end of 2011-12, we achieved a cleanliness score of 95.6% well above the agreed statewide target of 90%.

Infection controlInfection control is vital in a hospital because it helps to prevent the spread of germs and diseases. Clinical instruments used in the hospital are sterilised in our Central Sterilising Services Department (CSSD). Sterilising equipment is tested daily and comprehensive checks are carried out regularly. The CSSD is required to meet relevant Australian standards and to receive Accreditation, which is a formal external review of the hospital’s services. Infection control procedures are reviewed regularly and problems are identified and fixed or improved. Our Infection Control Nurse also runs training programs at the hospital to make sure all dental staff meet infection control requirements.

Improving access to careIt’s not just the quality of our care that we are trying to improve. We also want to help people get dental treatment as soon as possible. In 2011-12, 92.3% of people needing urgent dental treatment were seen within 24 hours at the hospital. We also continued to work on reducing the amount of time that people had to wait for general, denture and specialist care.

CredentialingAll dental professionals that provide care at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne have the right qualifications, skills and professional registration to do their job. Our dedicated Credentialing and Scope of Practice Coordinator makes sure our staff understand all the rules about achieving and maintaining their qualifications.

Clinical effectivenessWe regularly collect patient data and provide it to dental professionals to help them base their treatment and decisions on data and research. This helps them to provide high quality care. We also regularly conduct audits and peer reviews in our clinics. Peer reviews are when professionals working in the same field review each other’s work. Innovation is also supported through our Clinical Leadership Council. This is a group of experts that develop guidelines and review clinical practices based on the latest research.

Falls preventionThe Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne has a very low number of patient falls each year. The hospital uses a falls risk assessment tool that is based on the Falls Prevention Project by the Victorian Quality Council. This tool is used to assess patients who may be at risk of suffering a fall.

Risk managementWhen people start working at DHSV, they are taught about effective risk management. The policies and procedures are also available for staff to access on the DHSV intranet. All incidents are recorded in our online reporting system. They are then investigated thoroughly to identify why they occurred and make sure they don’t happen again.

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

Year

Fissure sealed teeth restored or extracted within two years

2007-08 2009-102008-090%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

Year

Teeth extracted within six months after pulpotomy treatment

2009 20112010

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Audit Number and Year

Hand Hygiene Compliance Audits

2-2010

66.3

%

75.6

%

1-2012 2-2012

72.9

%

69.5

%

3-2011

67.5

%

2-2011

70.0

%

1-2011

66.3

%

3-20100%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

70%

60%

80%

90%

100%

Year

Overall hospital score

Feb 12

95.6

%

Nov 08

92.0

%

Apr 10

96.0

%

92.0

%

Nov 09

94.7

%

May 09

94.7

%

May 08

Acceptable Quality Level (benchmark) for very high risk areas

95.3

%

Nov 10

90.3

%

Oct 11

94.7

%

May 11

95.8

%

Mar 11

96.6

%

Aug 10


Cel�rating&respe�ing ourdiverse community

Cel�rating

New booklet for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people Our Diversity team is passionate about reducing the huge gaps that exist between the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the rest of the population.

DHSV developed a new booklet specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients to help them understand how to access dental care at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne. We launched the booklet during National Reconciliation Week 2012 and are getting great feedback about it already.

The booklet is now available throughout the hospital and from some community health centres across the state.

Aboriginal Community Development Worker, Jacqueline Watkins; Aunty Diane Kerr; DHSV CEO, Dr Deborah Cole and Aboriginal Liaison Officer, Carleen Miller launching the new booklet for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at our Reconciliation Week celebrations

Victoria Morphy with the DHSV Reconciliation basket

Celebrating Reconciliation Week at the hospitalNational Reconciliation Week 2012 ran during May and gave everyone a chance to acknowledge the achievements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia.

At the hospital, Aunty Diane Kerr opened celebrations with a welcome to country. She spoke about the changing times and the importance of working together to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

DHSV CEO Deborah Cole said, “I am so proud of the work that our Diversity team does to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to visit the hospital. We are making a difference in people’s lives and it is great to see.”

Each day during Reconciliation Week, our staff, students and patients helped weave a reconciliation basket with the help of special guest, Victoria Morphy.

The finished basket will be kept on display in the RDHM foyer to represent our commitment to improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Working in partnership with other organisationsOur Diversity Team works closely with Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service to help patients through the dental health system. We understand that coming to a large hospital like ours can be a little scary so our Aboriginal Liaison Officer and our Aboriginal Community Development Worker are always available to chat with patients and give them ongoing support.

Meet one of our Abori�nal patients…

Name: Nicholas Age: 13

How many times have you visited RDHM? I’ve been to RDHM about four or five times.

How did you feel on your first visit? I was a bit nervous and scared to start off because I did not know what to expect. I didn’t want to have any needles and thought I might bleed.

Which departments did you visit? I’m not sure exactly which departments I visited but it all turned out well and I am happy with how everything went.

How did your visit turn out? The staff at RDHM are all very nice and helped me not to feel scared or nervous. They had a nice feel about them, made me feel comfortable the whole time.

Do you have other brothers and sisters who have also been to the hospital? Sometimes I come with my older sister. Even though nobody likes going to the dentist, we don’t mind it once we are here.

What did you learn at your visit? Learning about what can happen to your teeth if you don’t care for them has made me brush more often. I never used to brush every day but now I do every night and most mornings. My teeth are way healthier now. To keep my teeth healthy I brush, floss and don’t eat too much stuff with sugar. I know some of the people that come to the hospital have serious problems with their teeth but others have only small problems. I hope that everyone who comes here gets the great help that I do when I visit.

The great work that our Diversity team did over the year resulted in us treating 764 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients in 2011-12. That’s a 43% increase compared to the previous year!

Cultural awareness trainingWe run training sessions to teach our staff how to be sensitive to the needs of people from different backgrounds. Our training gives staff a chance to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history. It also teaches staff about how to work more effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and organisations.

Our diversity team; Aboriginal Liaison Officer, Carleen Miller; Aboriginal Community Development Worker, Jacqueline Watkins and Diversity and Community Liaison Coordinator, Jose Urias


World Oral Health DayWe celebrated World Oral Health Day 2011 in Melbourne’s CBD. DHSV volunteers went down to Bourke Street Mall to hand out fruit and chat to people about the importance of looking after their dental health. Our giant tooth helped draw a crowd and we had lots of fun sharing information about our services.

Dental Health WeekThe focus of Dental Health Week 2011 was oral cancers and how to prevent them. DHSV teamed up with the Cancer Council Victoria to teach people at the hospital about how to prevent oral cancers. Our stand in the foyer was visited by lots of patients over the course of the week and we gave away balloons, fresh fruit, stickers and information. Our colouring competition was also very popular with kids.

Where the Heart Is…Community FestivalThe Where the Heart Is… Community Festival is run each year to help the homeless people of Melbourne. The event brings all sorts of organisations and volunteers together to provide services, food and resources to people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. DHSV gave open-mouth checks to people at the festival and referred them to the hospital for treatment. Our volunteers did a great job talking to the community and making everybody feel comfortable and safe.

Out & �outin the community

Throughout the year DHSV celebrates a variety of special health promotion days. We love getting out in the community, talking to lots of different people and listening to what you have to say. These were some of our favourite activities over the year.

with our communityconne�helps

usOur CAC

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) provides advice to DHSV making sure that community views are reflected in our services, policies and plans for the future. They kept very busy over the past year by:

asking patients and visitors in our waiting rooms how we can make the hospital more welcoming

helping us achieve a great accreditation result with the surveyors noting our strong commitment to patient-centred care

helping us identify our Smile of the Year award winner, Hi-5

offering us advice on how we can better consult with consumers in the development of written materials and translated resources.

CAC members also enjoyed some great personal achievements over the year.

Christine Ingram received a 2011 Public Oral Healthcare Award for her work in improving access to dental health services for Aboriginal clients.

Geoffrey Dye represented DHSV at the Great Healthcare Challenge in October and reported his findings to the CAC.

Sharon King-Harris was appointed consumer representative on the Model of Care Emergency Services Working Group.

Thank you to our wonderful CAC for your fantastic contribution in 2011-12.

Community Advisory Committee member, Sharon King-Harris who has been appointed as a consumer representative on our Model of Care Working Group

Priority access – Helping people get the care they need Need an interpreter?If you or somebody you care for needs an interpreter, we can help. When you call to make your appointment at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne, tell the receptionist that you need an interpreter and we will gladly organise one for you.

We also have some brochures translated into the top six most common patient languages which can help you to understand your treatment and find your way through the building. The top six languages are:

1. English 2. Vietnamese 3. Arabic 4. Italian 5. Greek 6. Mandarin

Priority access means that you do not have to go on a waiting list to receive dental treatment. You will receive the next available appointment. The following groups can get priority access at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne:

children (0-12 years) and young people

Aboriginal or Torres Islander people

pregnant women

refugees and asylum seekers

homeless people and people at risk of homelessness

registered clients of mental health and disability services, supported by a letter of recommendation from their case manager or staff of special developmental schools.

More information about our services and priority access can be found on the DHSV website – www.dhsv.org.au

Dental Dictionary At-risk – a person who is likely to suffer from dental disease because of certain circumstances in their life, such as illness, cultural background, pregnancy or poverty.

Bridge – An artificial tooth replacement which is fixed inside the mouth to adjacent teeth.

Crown – a cap-like structure on a tooth. It covers the tooth partially or totally above the gum to restore its function and improve appearance.

Dental professional – a member of the dental team. This may include the dentist, dental therapist, oral health therapist, dental prosthetist, dental hygienist or other specialists.

Orthodontics – a special field in dentistry which involves diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of bite abnormalities.

Periodontics – A branch of dentistry that specialises in diseases of the gums and other structures around the teeth.

Plaque – A sticky colourless deposit continually forming on the teeth. This deposit is a film of bacteria. The acid produced by these bacteria can cause tooth and gum decay.

Pulp – The inner most part of a tooth. It contains nerves and blood vessels.


The surveyors assessed us against 43 criteria, rating us as either:

LA – Little Achievement

SA – Some Achievement

MA – Moderate Achievement

EA – Extensive Achievement

OA – Outstanding Achievement

In addition to our eight EA ratings, we also earned Successful closure of all outstanding recommendations for improvement from the previous survey and MA ratings for all mandatory criteria.

Thank you to all our staff and patients for your support during the review process.

We are happy to report that we passed accreditation with eight Extensive Achievement ratings – a great improvement on our previous results!

Accreditation is the formal review of a health service by a team of surveyors. It makes sure the care you receive is safe and of a high quality. Accreditation is based on standards and processes developed by health care professionals.

DHSV uses the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) framework for accreditation.

A full review of the services provided at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne was completed by ACHS surveyors in late November and early December 2011. The surveyors spent three days assessing our services and they awarded us continued accreditation status until April 2016. The surveyors were impressed by our organisation and recommended that we pass all accreditation criteria.

Surveyor June Graham said that DHSV has “a culture of improving performance and working as a team” and is driven by “a strong evidence base” that flows on to the way we provide care to the community.

our hospitalimpressed by

DHSV Business Improvement Officers, Pauline Fletcher and Sarah Carter with our accreditation certificate A¢

ProfessorMike

How different are baby or ‘milk’ teeth to adult teeth?Your young child has fewer teeth than you and they will generally be smaller. Baby teeth are also much whiter than adult teeth.

When should you be able to leave your child to brush by themselves? Your child will need your help to brush up until the age of 6 or 7. Let them have a go at brushing by themselves but keep supervising them until they have developed the right skills.

How do you know if their teeth are clean?Brushing your child’s teeth is an ideal time to have a look inside their mouth. Look for any stains or discolouration and if you see anything that concerns you, see a dental professional or maternal and child health nurse. If the teeth look white and smooth, you and your child have done a good job. Your child’s gums should be pale pink and should not bleed easily. Inflammation, redness of the gums and furry-looking substances on the gumline of the teeth are a sign that the teeth aren’t being brushed properly.

When should your child have their first dental check-up?Your child should have a dental check-up with a health professional by the age of two. If you have any questions or concerns before then, talk to your local dental professional or maternal and child health nurse at your next visit.

What else can I do to improve my child’s dental health?Eat Well – Give your child foods that are low in sugar. If they do eat sugary foods and drink, limit them to meal times. Try healthy snacks like whole fruit and vegetables.

Drink Well – Give your child water to drink, particularly fluoridated tap water if it’s available. Avoid soft drinks, fruit juices and other sugary drinks.

Clean Well – Brush your child’s teeth twice a day with a soft toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste (after 17 months of age).

Play Well – If your child likes to play contact sports, give them a mouthguard to avoid injury during games and at training.

Since they’ll be lost anyway why should parents take care of baby teeth?Baby teeth can get tooth decay just like adult teeth. By teaching your child to clean their teeth and gums and eat a sensible diet, you can help build healthy habits that will stay with them for life. Baby teeth also play an important role in guiding the permanent teeth into the correct positions and help your child to eat and speak properly.

How do you clean a child’s teeth?When teeth first appear, simply wipe

them with a wet face washer or piece of gauze. You can introduce a small, soft toothbrush and low fluoride toothpaste when your child reaches 17 months old. Hold your child with their back to you, and brush from behind. Cradle their head in your elbow while you brush. Use a small amount of children’s toothpaste on a soft brush. From age six, you can try a pea-size amount of regular adult fluoride toothpaste. It is important that the child spits the toothpaste out and doesn’t rinse after brushing.

ACHS surveyors

Professor Mike Morgan is an expe¤ on all things �ntal! We pi�ed his brain �out children’s �ntal health.

1. Fely's hairband changed colour 2. Fely's t-shirt changed colour 3. Colours changed on Stevie's glass 4. Crayon's removed on Stevies t-shirt 5. Lauren's toothbrush changed colour 6. Another babushka on Laurn's top 7. Lauren's dress changed colour 8. Lauren has a bracelet on 9. Tim's collar changed colour 10. Tim's apple changed colour 11. Tim's jeans changed colour 12. Tim's missing ring 13. Casey's hairband changed colour 14. Love heart on Casey's top

1. Randall the Rapper 2. Cody the Cowboy 3. Paul the Professor 4. Pete the Pirate 5. Tim the Super Tooth 6. Max the Mexican

Paul the Professor

Max the Mexican

Cody the Cowboy

Randall the Rapper

Pete the Pirate

Tim the Super Tooth

1

4

2

5

3

6

Draw a line from the tooth to the right name


Spotdi¦erencethePuzzles

Games&

Name that tooth

Maze

There are 14 di¦erences between the pi�ures of Hi-5. Can you spot them all?

ET ARTE ET MARTE

Locations:

To find out if you are eligible for public dental services go to www.dhsv.org.au

To find your closest community dental clinic call 1300 360 054 or go to www.dhsv.org.au

The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne 720 Swanston Street, Carlton

Phone: (03) 9341 1000

Parking spaces for people with a disability are available in Lynch Street (a one-way lane off Cardigan Street) in Carlton. Enter the lane from Cardigan Street and the disabled parking bays are on the left.

Hours:

The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne

Appointments: Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 4.45pm

Emergencies: Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 9.15pm Weekends and public holidays, 9.00am – 9.15pm

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/_dhsv

Opening times: Monday to Friday, 9am–5pmBook an appointment today on (03) 9341 1168.

Free dental check-ups and treatment for kids

Keeping your child’s teeth and mouth healthy is important!

If your child is 12 or younger, they can get a free dental check-up andtreatment at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne.

The care is provided by students who are fullysupervised by experienced dentists and oral health therapists.

Hi-5 - Dental Health Services Victoria · These habits include brushing teeth twice a day with a...

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