School dental clinics to be replaced with mobile units

More than 30 Bay of Plenty school dental clinics have been earmarked to close in a review of services.

The Community Dental Service suggests eight new mobile dental clinics should be built to cater for the 11,500 children who attend schools.

The proposal - which school boards of trustees and principals have not been officially told about - said 31 existing school clinics should close because they required extensive upgrades and were not always open.

The 12 school clinics that would be retained have been singled out for renovations based on location and size.

While the exact cost for upgrading each clinic would differ between schools, the Community Dental Service estimated the total cost at $360,000.

A further $1.3 million would be required to build the eight new mobile units.

The review was to be presented at today's Bay of Plenty District Health Board meeting in Whakatane by Sharon Kletchko, director of planning and service development.

Dr Kletchko said the Ministry of Health asked all health boards to review oral health facilities last year.

- NZPA