The relief was obvious on 17-year-old Billy’s face.

Few of us like to go to the dentist, but after two small fillings and a good clean, Billy*, who lives in kinship care with his Aunt Carley, was mightily happy he’d been.

“Not as bad as last time,” he said with a smile.

Billy was first in the chair for the day, as an Australian Dental Foundation Incorporated (ADFi) mobile clinic visited the Department for Child Protection’s Gawler office.

Aunt Carley told dentist Dr Khyati Sapra that Billy still had some baby teeth, and that his case worker was in the process of organising braces before he turned 18.

She stood by the anxious Billy all during the treatment, her hand resting on his shoulder as she offered words of support.

Her young daughter sat on the carpet nearby, happily playing Monopoly with her cuddle bunny.

Dr Sapra is no stranger to helping children and young people in care.

She worked at DCP a few years ago, while she completed her Masters in Social Work at Flinders University, on top of her dentistry degree.

“It helps me work with special needs kids,” she said as she prepared for the day’s clinic.

The ADFi is Australia’s largest dental charity and has been running the mobile clinics for children and young people in care for the past year or so in partnership with DCP.

DCP gets almost 3000 children and young people a year to the dentist through its partnerships with ADFi and SA Dental.

The mobile ADFi clinics, which are held out of DCP offices using an ingenious folding dentist chair and other mobile equipment, help catch young patients who may not otherwise receive treatment. About 100 patients have been treated through the clinics in the past year.

Seven patients were scheduled for the day at Gawler, before the clinic headed off to DCP’s Noarlunga office later in the week.

Case workers arrange appointments and staff offer to drive patients to clinics if their carer can’t provide transport.

ADFi was recently recognised at the SA Child Protection Awards, winning the Outstanding Service Award - Wellbeing and Development.

ADFi’s chairman Dr Greg Miller recognised the importance of continuing care for children coming out of the system.

"We have made arrangements so young people like Billy can have their orthodontic work continue once they leave care," he said.

"We have also expanded our work to include these special clinics at DCP offices, at no out-of-pocket cost for carers.

“It's helping us to reach the most vulnerable children in our community."

The next patients at Gawler are 13-year-old Sarah and her six-year-old sister Jane.

Their foster carer Adam listens intently as Dr Sapra tells Sarah she’s need x-rays next time she visits her regular dentist, and reminds her to clean a spot she’s been missing on her daily brush.

“For us, it’s more convenient to bring her to the clinic than her usual dentist,” Adam said. “This is nice and easy.”

More than 2000 children and young people treated

The key partnership has helped 2408 children and young people in care receive free dental services in the past year.

The figure, which includes routine examinations and x-rays, comes thanks to the agreement between the Department for Child Protection and SA Dental.

Of the children and young people to attend SA Dental services during 2023-24, 925 received fillings and extractions for a total of 2708 treatments. Of those, 87 received orthodontic services such as braces.

The partnership extended into the state’s remote and regional areas including the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the state’s Far North.

SA Dental Acting Executive Director Stuart Marshall (pictured right with Max, the dental mascot) said the partnership with DCP “has been effective in ensuring these vulnerable children and young people are accessing the dental services they need and aren’t missing out".

“Oral health is important for general health and wellbeing and plays a role in children’s development, through speech, nutrition, and socialising,” he said.

Some of the services in remote and regional areas were provided by independent dentists on a contract basis through SA Dental.

Under the DCP agreement with SA Dental, all children and young people in care receive fee-free dental care until they turn 18.

This includes dental assessment, treatment and regular reviews, emergency dental care, specialist dental treatment and orthodontics.

This article was prepared by, and first appeared in, the Department for Child Protection’s Partner magazine. Click here to read more about the good work being done within DCP.

*The names of the young people have been changed for privacy reasons