Father Bob Maguire, the Larrikin Priest best known for his community work in and around Melbourne, has teamed up with Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) to tackle the poor state of dental health of Melbourne’s homeless population.
Each year DHSV awards an influential member of the community the Smile of the Year and partners with them to combat poor oral health – Australia’s most prevalent health condition.
This year Father Bob was selected and will help DHSV to connect with the homeless population of Melbourne to help improve their access to oral health services and information.
Father Bob also fronts the cover of our 2014 Oral Health for Better Health magazine ( 2013/14 quality of care report), an annual magazine made specifically for wait-rooms of public dental clinics and bulk-billing GP practices.
Jennifer Theisinger, Chair of DHSV’s Community Advisory Committee said Father Bob was chosen as the Smile of the Year for his passion and tenacity to improve the health and wellbeing of those most in need.
“Father Bob is an inspirational role model,” Ms Theisinger said.
“His determination to better the lives of the disadvantaged is applaudable, especially for the homeless and those at risk of homelessness, who are a priority population group for DHSV.”
Father Bob said being chosen as DHSV’s Smile of the Year gave him a chance to highlight the importance of good dental health amongst homeless people and improve their access to dental care.
“This award will help me and DHSV to join forces to bring better oral health to those who are less fortunate in the Victorian community.”
“Poor dental health is such a detrimental aspect of homelessness in Australia. Not only can it bring serious long-term health effects but missing, damaged and rotten teeth can destroy self-esteem.”
“We need to restore confidence among our folk, and help them to access essential dental treatment,” he said.
Father Bob and DHSV will start the crusade to better the oral health of Melbourne’s homeless by combining oral health education with existing community touch points.
“Better oral health starts with three easy steps – Eat Well, Drink Well and Clean Well,” said Father Bob.
“We’ll give a healthy feed to whoever needs it through our HopeMobile; our tucker is healthy because good nutrition is important for your teeth and general health. We’ll encourage drinking fluoridated tap water over sugary drinks to reduce tooth decay and gum disease caused by sugars; and we’ll source and provide toothbrushes and paste for as many people as we can to help them keep their teeth and mouths healthy,” he said.
Related links
- 2014 Public Oral Health Award winners
- The Father Bob Maguire Foundation
- 2014 Annual Report and Quality of Care
Media contact:
Mingsia Lee
Dental Health Services Victoria
(03) 9341 1139 | mingsia.lee@dhsv.org.au