The Centre's mission is to improve through research, education and service the oral health outcomes for people living in the rural and remote areas of Western Australia.

1. Objectives
2. Strategy
3. Advocacy and research
4. Practitioner support
5. Aboriginal oral health programs
6. Facilitation of rural oral health care pilot programs

Objectives

• Develop and undertake oral health research into issues of importance to remote communities.
• Facilitate the effective delivery of oral health care in rural remote Aboriginal communities.
• Advocate for remote oral health workers.
• Promote oral health and its relations to general health.
• Give support to remote general health workers in oral health.
• Promote oral health practice in rural and remote areas as a viable occupational option.
• Assist in the development of best-practice principles for the provision of rural and remote oral health care.

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Strategy

• Undertake research on issues applicable to rural and remote oral health.
• Develop systems to analyse the need for oral health care services based on quantitative data.
• Propagate the results of oral health care activity research.
• Participate in the health planning process in Western Australia and nationally to improve the focus on oral-health-related issues.
• Develop community oral health programs suitable for Aboriginal communities.
• Provide appropriately designed and culturally applicable education materials to Aboriginal health workers, for use in Aboriginal communities, that integrates the oral and general health messages.
• Develop Aboriginal people as a support network for remote oral health activities.
• Facilitate access of Aboriginal people to existing services in rural and remote locations.
• Encourage and facilitate Aboriginal people’s involvement in more advanced training in all areas of dental health, including dentistry.
• Link remote oral health workers to tertiary services.
• Facilitate the development of appropriate short courses for remote oral health care workers.
• Facilitate access to appropriate continuing education for rural and remote oral health care workers.

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Advocacy and research

The Centre's primary focus is to research and develop strategies to address the significant unmet needs for rural and remote oral health care.

Research programs will be targeted at facilitating improved oral health in rural and remote communities. Issues such as workforce trends, oral health needs, and assessment of access will be some of the key issues.

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Practitioner support

It is widely acknowledged that over the next decade there will be an increasing shortage of dental practitioners in Australia. Assuming similar trends as in medicine, the greatest effect of a shortage of practitioners will be felt in rural and remote regions.

As such, it is important for the long-term future of oral health care in country regions that strategies be developed, trialed and implemented to increase the recruitment and retention of practitioners in rural areas.

Similar issues also concern dental auxiliaries in rural and remote areas, and as such, the Centre has a focus on professional development for these personnel. We consider that this would be best undertaken using similar strategies to those used successfully in medicine.

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Aboriginal oral health programs

In collaboration with the appropriate Aboriginal groups, the Centre leads the research, development and implementation of oral health programs tailored to the needs of Aboriginal people in rural and remote areas. This may include strategies such as:

• facilitation of access for Aboriginal people to existing services in rural and remote locations
• integration of oral health messages into current general health promotional programs
• planning, development and maintenance of a series of dental clinics in key locations
• development of community oral health programs suitable for Aboriginal communities
• support and encouragement of Aboriginal health workers for training in oral health.

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Facilitation of rural oral health care pilot programs

The Centre has been responsible for the development of innovative oral health care provision programs. 

This role includes the provision of advice on oral health issues, the development of strategies and procedures for best practice, and ongoing assistance with the day-to-day issues associated with the implementation of the these programs.

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