Australian Dental Foundation and Straumann Group Foundation launch Central Smiles
The Australian Dental Foundation (ADFi) is proud to announce a new partnership with the Straumann Group Foundation to launch Central Smiles, an initiative delivering free dental treatment, prevention and oral health education to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in remote and regional communities.
Kicking off in Ceduna, South Australia, Central Smiles aims to address some of the significant barriers to oral healthcare experienced by First Nations communities, particularly in areas where distance, cost and limited access to a dental workforce can make regular care difficult.
The need is significant. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience a greater burden of oral disease than non-Indigenous Australians, with those living in remote areas facing additional challenges in accessing timely dental treatment.
Central Smiles has been designed to help close this gap by bringing treatment directly to where people live – not simply identifying the need for care, but providing it.
Taking dental care directly into communities
The initiative will begin its work in regional and remote South Australia, including the greater Ceduna region on the Eyre Peninsula. Located approximately 780 kilometres from Adelaide, the region highlights the distances many people can face when accessing healthcare that is readily available in metropolitan areas.
Using ADFi’s purpose-built mobile dental clinic, Michelle, AHPRA-registered dental practitioners will travel directly into communities to provide free dental care.
Services will include dental examinations and preventive care such as fluoride treatments, fissure sealants, scaling and cleaning, alongside restorative treatment, extractions and referrals for ongoing care where required.
Care will be delivered in partnership with local Aboriginal communities, schools, health services and community organisations, with an emphasis on culturally safe and trauma-informed approaches.
Community-based oral health education will be another important part of Central Smiles. Take-home oral hygiene packs, education sessions and ongoing support will help extend the impact beyond the dental chair and into homes, schools and the wider community.
Thousands of appointments and education opportunities each year
Central Smiles has been established with ambitious goals for both treatment and prevention.
Around 2,400 patient appointments are planned each year, alongside more than 3,000 oral health education touchpoints.
As some patients may require several appointments to complete their treatment, appointment numbers do not represent unique individuals. The impact of the initiative is expected to extend much further through families, schools, community organisations and local oral health champions.
During its initial 12 months, Central Smiles aims to provide treatment to more than 1,000 Indigenious patients across the broader Eyre Peninsula.
This combination of clinical treatment and community education is central to the program – addressing immediate dental needs while supporting prevention and better oral health into the future.
A partnership with purpose
The partnership brings together ADFi’s experience delivering mobile and community-based dental services with the support and shared vision of the Straumann Group Foundation.
As part of Central Smiles, a new purpose-built mobile dental vehicle will also be commissioned, further strengthening ADFi’s capacity to deliver high-quality dental care in regional and remote communities.
“For people living in remote Australia, accessing a dentist can mean travelling hundreds of kilometres, taking time away from family and work, or simply going without care,” said Dr Greg Miller, Chair and Clinical Ambassador of the Australian Dental Foundation.
“Central Smiles is about changing that. By taking treatment, prevention and education directly into communities, we can remove some of those barriers and provide care where it is needed most.
“We are incredibly proud to be partnering with the Straumann Group Foundation on an initiative that has the potential to create a meaningful and lasting impact.”
Central Smiles will also create opportunities for the Straumann Group Foundation team to participate in voluntary dental outreach, connecting the partnership directly with community-based care and tangible improvements in oral health.
For ADFi, the launch represents another important step in its commitment to making quality dental care more accessible.
By combining treatment, prevention, education and strong community partnerships, Central Smiles aims to help reduce the barriers that can leave dental disease untreated and support healthier smiles and stronger oral health outcomes for regional communities.
