Media Release
28th October, 2008

New Partnership Aims To Prevent `Shocking Level’ Of Child Dental Disease In New Zealand

Half of all New Zealand children starting primary school have preventable dental disease, according to leading specialist paediatric dentist, Dr Nina Vasan.

Announcing a strategic partnership between Lumino The Dentists, New Zealand’s largest dental healthcare organisation and Kidz-Teeth, a specialist children’s dental service, Dr Vasan said: `At primary school entry approximately 50% of children have dental disease which is preventable. Our mission is to prevent this shocking level of disease through treatment and education whilst instilling confidence in the dental environment in young New Zealanders. Our partnership with Lumino The Dentists presents an exciting opportunity for our services to be more accessible to children nationwide so that they can experience good oral health care at an early stage.’

Lumino The Dentists General Manager, Andy Tapper commented: `Children and adolescent dentistry is a continuing focus for Lumino. We believe our partnership with Kidz Teeth, which is Auckland's leading paediatric specialist dental practice, is a natural extension of the services we offer to children. A number of our practices hold contracts for the provision of free services to adolescents or alternatively will treat children of existing patients privately. We also have Lumino The Dentists Mobile, an extensive mobile dental service which visits high schools throughout Auckland, offering free screening and dental treatment for adolescents. Work that cannot be done on the buses is done at one of our nearby dental practices.’

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