Dental Health Services Victoria

Patient information

Home :: Patient information :: Interpreter services

Interpreter services

Language interpreter services are available to patients at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne.

When making your appointment please tell staff if you will need an interpreter for your visit and your preferred language. This will allow staff to arrange for an interpreter to be present when you have your treatment. If you visit the Hospital for an emergency, a telephone interpreter can be organised.

To make an appointment call:

  • Dental emergency: 1300 360 054 (standard charges apply)

  • General dental enquiries: (03) 9341 1000  / 1800 833 039 (country call)
     

Mrs Pereira discusses treatment with Dr Adam Evans with the help of an interpreterMrs Vicenzina Pereira first visited The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne (RDHM) around 35 years ago at its old location in Elizabeth Street. After recently experiencing some pain in her bottom teeth, she started on a course of treatment with RDHM dentist Adam Evans.

Mrs Pereira arrived in Australia from Italy in 1964 and, though she can understand and speak some English, she prefers to use an interpreter for her specialist medical and hospital appointments so she can be certain there is no misunderstanding.

She has always been able to use an interpreter at the Dental Hospital, except for one time when the interpreter was running late.

I had to get by without an interpreter at that appointment but I managed because the dentist opened her mouth wide when she spoke. It can be very difficult to understand people if they don’t open their mouths and speak clearly.

Mrs Pereira said that she has had a number of health problems which has meant visits to different hospitals. She always makes use of hospital interpreter services and has found the interpreters very helpful at communicating complicated information.