Victoria’s Smile Squad free dental program is being expanded to include students at low-fee non-government schools, with the rollout now underway across the state.
Health Minister Ingrid Stitt announced the expansion during a visit to Resurrection Primary School, where the next stage of the program was launched.
An initial 54 schools across metropolitan and regional Victoria have been invited to participate, with a phased expansion planned for all eligible low-fee non-government schools.
Smile Squad provides free dental care through mobile teams of oral health clinicians who visit schools. Students can receive dental check-ups and follow-up treatment without needing to attend a separate clinic.
The program includes services such as X-rays, teeth cleaning, fluoride treatments, dental sealants, fillings and root canal treatment where required.
The Victorian Government says the school-based model is designed to reduce both the cost of dental care for families and the time involved in attending appointments, particularly for parents who may otherwise need to take time off work.
According to the government, regular dental check-ups can cost families hundreds of dollars each year for each child.
Smile Squad was introduced in 2019 and has visited more than 1,000 public schools across Victoria. The program has provided services to more than 175,000 students and distributed more than one million oral health packs.
Stitt said the expansion would make free dental care available to more Victorian children.
“Access to healthcare shouldn’t have anything to do with your bank balance or where you live,” she said.
Deputy Premier and Education Minister Gabrielle Williams said the program would help ease cost of living pressures for families while improving access to dental care for students.
Member for Kororoit Luba Grigorovitch said the expansion would save parents both time and money by bringing dental services directly into schools.
Further information about the program is available through the Victorian Department of Health.
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