Media contacts
Jacqui Bunting
Communications Coordinator
Email: buntingj@dhsv.org.au
Ph: 03 9341 1361
Mob: 0404 137 102
Who we are
Dental Health Services Victoria
Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) is Victoria’s leading oral health agency. It was established in 1996 to improve the planning, integration, coordination and management of Victoria's public dental services.
We provide clinical services through The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne and purchase dental services on behalf of the State Government from 58 community health agencies throughout Victoria.
We also deliver state-wide oral health promotion programs designed to improve oral health in the community and reduce demand on public dental services. We work in partnership with The University of Melbourne, RMIT University and La Trobe University in the education of dental and oral health professionals.
DHSV employs around 560 staff and is classified as a metropolitan health service under the Health Services Act.
The Royal Dental Hosptial of Melbourne
The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne is visited by between 400 and 500 people each day, including staff, patients, carers and students. In 2008-09 the hospital treated 49,534 patients - around 136 patients a day.
The history of The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne dates back to 1890 when dentists began providing voluntary services out of premises at 225 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Known then as the Melbourne Dental Hospital, it moved to 189 Lonsdale and then 193 Spring Street, before Victoria’s first purpose-built dental hospital was opened in Grattan Street, Parkville, in 1963. In 1969 its name was changed to The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne. In 2003 the hospital moved to its current location at 720 Swanston Street, Carlton.
Patient numbers
In the 2008-09 year, a total of 325,857 patients were treated in Victoria’s public dental clinics. Patients were treated at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne in Carlton and in Community dental clinics located in health services and hospitals throughout Victoria.
| |
2006-07
|
2007-08
|
2008-09
|
| Children |
95,294 |
98,281 |
113,296 |
| Adults |
209,271 |
222,639 |
212,561 |
| Total |
304,565 |
320,920 |
325,857 |
Waiting times
- 80% of emergency patients were treated within 24 hours in 2008-09.
- The average wait for patients requiring specialist treatment was 8.2 months (at 30 June 2009).
- The average wait for patients requiring general treatment was 19.7 months (at 30 June 2009).
- The average wait for patients requiring dentures was 19 months (at 30 June 2009).
- There was no wait time for priority patients, including children up to the age of 12 and eligible youth up to the age of 17.
Oral disease
Dental treatment accounted for 6.2% ($6.1 billion) of Australia’s total health expenditure in 2007-08 (Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, September 2009).
The major causes of dental disease are dental caries (decay) and periodontal disease (gum disease). Both conditions are largely preventable through good diet and regular dental hygiene.