Good oral health is crucial to good general health.

That was a key message when NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard opened the new offices of the Australian Dental Association NSW at the start of Dental Health Week 2017.

“A message that we have to get out to the broader public is the fact that so much of the rest of your health is dependent upon good oral health – completely dependent, in many cases,” Mr Hazzard said. “So, to have this opportunity to come here today and be amongst you and celebrate what the Association has put together, in terms of this wonderful new facility, is indeed exciting.”

ADA NSW President Dr Sabrina Manickam said Dental Health Week was “a great platform for a broader education campaign on the correlation between oral health and general health”.

“Good health starts with good oral health,” she said. “We know that poor oral health can contribute to chronic illnesses, with scientific evidence to correlate this with cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. There is … a growing awareness about the impact of frequency of sugar consumption, particularly with children, and how this can lead to the chronic disease dilemmas we face.

“As dentists, and as the peak body representing dentists in this state, ADA NSW is committed to educating the wider community,” Dr Manickam said. “Together with our esteemed colleagues from all corners of our profession, we want to put the mouth into health.”

Among those who attended the opening ceremony and reception for Mr Hazzard on August 7 were the Chief Dental Officer for NSW, Dr Lanny Chor; President of the NSW Dental Council, Adjunct Associate Professor Bill O’Reilly; the Director of the Centre for Oral Health Strategy, John Skinner; NSW Volunteer of the Year and Chairman of the National Dental Foundation, Dr David Digges; and academics from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Dentistry. They were joined by ADA NSW Board and Council representatives, as well as ADA NSW members and staff.

ADA NSW represents more than 4,500 dentists and dental students. Its new four-storey building in St Leonards incorporates the ADA National Library, membership, operations and management offices, and the Centre for Professional Development, which provides training to 3,000 dentists each year.

After touring the building Mr Hazzard said he was pleased dentists had access to such high-quality training facilities and resources. The capacity “to keep professional colleagues up to speed with the skill sets that they need to provide the very best oral care” was a “major step forward”, he said.
 
“You are one of the most trusted professions and you deserve to take pride in that,” Mr Hazzard told the assembled guests. “I congratulate you again on the work you do. I’m so pleased that we have this great facility here to be able to drive and support it.”

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