GEGAC Dental patient Ronald Cockerill with Senior Dentist Dr Gary Nowrungsah.
We get it.
It’s not always easy to find time for your health.
But did you know that GEGAC’s Dental Service team offers before- and after-hours appointments for people who can’t make it in 9am – 5pm?
For community members like Ronald Cockerill, that means being able to make time for a dental appointment while also being able to drop his son off at school and get to work in the arvo.
It was great to see Ronald this week, when he came in for a filling at 8am.
“It was no drama,” he said. “No pain or anything. I see Doctor Gary and I’m in and out in about 30 minutes. Too easy.”
Ronald has been taking advantage of the early morning appointments for about two or three years now, having a regular check-up, and taking care of any problems with his teeth before they get too serious.
“Because of that he’s in great dental health, and you can see his beautiful smile,” said GEGAC’s Dental Coordinator Judy-Anne Alexander (or “JA” as you probably know her.)
JA said being able to offer extended appointment hours was a direct result of GEGAC’s leadership being keen to invest the time and resources into supporting dental services.
“It’s clear that [CEO] Kenton, [Deputy CEO] Josh and the Board understand that having access to top-notch dental care is a priority for community,” she said. “For the first time in ages we’ve got the staff and resources to be able to serve everyone that needs dental care.”
GEGAC’s Primary Health Care Senior Manager Tammy Chatwin said that more community members were learning about the strong connection between dental health and overall physical and mental wellbeing.
“Anyone who has had problems with their teeth or gums can tell you what an impact it has on your overall health,” Tammy said.
“Not just how you are feeling physically, the pain, the stress, but also how it impacts your confidence and self-esteem. The dental service is a really important piece of our community’s overall health.”
JA said that anyone interested in accessing before- or after-hours appointments should just call or text the Dental Clinic directly on 0437 613 498, or email dental.reception@gegac.org.au
Since July 1 last year, our Dental Services team has seen more than 1,560 people across 2,753 appointments.
That includes more than 240 children across 335 appointments.