RDHM celebrates 10 years at Swanston St

24 July 2013

The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne turns 10

The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne is celebrating 10 years of caring for the oral health of Victorians at 720 Swanston Street, Carlton.

First established in 1890 as The Melbourne Dental Hospital at 225 Lonsdale Street, the hospital has moved to several locations over the years before finally relocating to its present Carlton premises in 2003. The hospital was named The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne in 1969.

Today, The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne is a multi-purpose facility offering general, emergency and specialist care for disadvantaged Victorians in need of oral health care. The hospital serves as a centre for excellence for dentistry and oral health research in Victoria. Staff provide care in the 16-chair general and primary care clinic, 38-chair specialist services unit, 4-theatre day surgery suite and emergency clinic.

The hospital also houses The University of Melbourne’s dental school, the Henry Forman Atkinson Dental Museum, the RMIT University Department of Health and Biosciences and the Cooperative Research Centre for Oral Health Science. It is Victoria’s leading dental teaching facility working in partnership with LaTrobe University, The University of Melbourne and RMIT University. It is operated by Dental Health Services Victoria which coordinates the delivery of public dental services throughout Victoria.

History of RDHM

	1890 John Illife (1847 – 1914) is the founder of The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne (then known as The Melbourne Dental Hospital). Dentists first began providing voluntary services at The Melbourne Dental Hospital on Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Image: In Defence of Ivory Towers by Professor Henry Atkinson
	1897 The Melbourne Dental Hospital on 189-191 Lonsdale Street From 1897 to 1907, the Australian College of Dentistry and The Melbourne Dental Hospital was located on 189-191 Lonsdale Street. Image: University of Melbourne collection
	1907 The Melbourne Dental Hospital moves to Spring Street Image: University of Melbourne collection
	1925 The Melbourne Dental Hospital received its first government grant of £100 to fund operations. Image: The Melbourne Dental Hospital and The Australian College of Dentistry on Spring Street, University of Melbourne collection
	1969 The Melbourne Dental Hospital was renamed as The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne. Image: Bachelor of Dental Science first year students, 1969
	1996 Dental Health Services Victoria was established to improve the planning, integration, coordination and management of public dental services. Image: DHSV Diversity Team: Carleen Miller, Jacqueline Watkins and Jose Urias
	2003 The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne relocated from Parkville to its current location at 720 Swanston Street, Carlton.