Bulletin

Issue: June 2006

News

Open wide! New $1 million Oral Health Lab at Bendigo

A new oral health teaching laboratory paving the way for a new generation of dental professionals to meet the needs of regional Victoria was opened on the La Trobe University Bendigo campus in June.

Mr Andrews, right, and Professor
Swerissen with first year oral health
student, Casey Mitchell.

The $1million facility, for regional students wishing to study oral health therapy, was opened by the Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Mr Daniel Andrews.

La Trobe Dean of Health Sciences, Professor Hal Swerissen, said the new laboratory was only the second dental teaching facility opened in Australia in 60 years. Mr Andrews also launched the new Bachelor of Oral Health degree which is being delivered for the first time this year at Bendigo.

Professor Swerissen said the support of the Victorian Government, in partnership with Dental Health Services Victoria and Bendigo Health, was instrumental in setting up the new degree.

As well as the new 31 chair laboratory, existing nursing laboratories have been refurbished for the new course, providing a first-class environment for learning the techniques of oral health therapy.

Professor Swerissen said the innovative new course involves oral health students studying alongside allied health students, enabling graduates to be 'active and knowledgeable professionals in the community'.

He said some 50 people applied for 12 places offered this year. Applicants came from a variety of backgrounds, mostly from regional Victoria. Twenty places will be available in 2007 and 30 in 2008.

'In the next few years, the Bachelor of Oral Health has the potential to train 90 therapists over the six semesters.'

Professor Swerissen said an important feature of the course is the hands-on real-life experience provided by clinical placements, using both public and private dental settings across Victoria.

He said plans are progressing for the development of a new ten-chair dentistry teaching clinic and pre-clinical laboratory at Bendigo Health scheduled for completion next year.