Dental Health Services Victoria

A range of oral health promotion programs and projects have been implemented by Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) focusing on targeting Victorian communities with the greatest need. Our programs are aimed at engaging and supporting Victorians to reduce factors that may negatively affect their oral health.

Factors which can influence oral health - Nutrition, lifestyle, social connectedness, personal health and hygiene practices, socio-economic status, education, cultural beliefs, attitudes and level of health literacy. Factors also include the level of access to oral health services and programs.

Working together with partnering organisations and community groups to achieve sustainable oral health outcomes is an important part of all our programs.

DHSV oral health promotion programs:

• Defenders of the Tooth
  The Defenders of the Tooth are cartoon superheroes designed to engage children to learn about good oral health. >> Read more about this project
   
• Promoting oral health within disability accommodation services
  In 2008-09, DHSV worked with Disability Accommodation Services and Plenty Valley Community Health on a pilot project to promote and improve oral health for people with intellectual disabilities. >> Read more about this project
   
• Pension-Level Supported Residential Services (SRS) project
  In the 2007-08 Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) received funding to provide all pension-level SRS residents with the appropriate knowledge and resources to improve their oral health and wellbeing. >> Read more about this project
   
• Smiles 4 Miles
  Smiles 4 Miles is a DHSV initiative working in partnership with local health organisations to improve the oral health of the youngest children in the community. >> Read more about this project
   
• Smiling Schools
  The 2006–07 Smiling Schools project was a demonstration project that administered an oral health literacy survey to a sample of Victorian primary school children and their parents. >> Read more about this project