Griffith School of Dentistry unveiled

Griffith University Centre for Medicine and Oral Health - incorporating the first dental school to be established in Australia in almost 60 years - was opened amid much fanfare on the Gold Coast on July 1.

The $36 million facility was jointly launched by Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister, Gary Hardgrave - also a Griffith University Graduate.

The new Centre for Oral Health brings together the various dental disciplines in the one state-of-the-art facility, equipped with the latest dental equipment and senior lecturers with impressive practical industry experience.

Described as a triumph of innovation and collaboration between the private, academic and government sectors, the seven story building is indeed impressive, successfully combining teaching, research and commercial facilities under the one roof.

Two full floors are devoted to the School of Dentistry and Oral Health, including an impressive and welcoming "paperless" reception area which will allow dental care of public patients.

The general and specialist dental clinics include 55 A-dec 500 chairs equipped with W&H handpieces, a simulator clinic with 50 A-dec simulators, on-site radiology (yet to be installed) and a fully appointed dental laboratory with 90 places providing teaching and research in the fields of dental appliances and prosthetics. This includes evaluations of materials and designs involved in all oral appliances.

Significantly, the School of Dentistry and Oral health will be a fully operating dental clinic providing public healthcare, including eight individual treatment rooms for visiting oral surgeons, endodontists and periodontists.

A commercial technical laboratory will also operate in a glassed-in section immediately adjacent to the teaching laboratory, enabling students to see first hand the "real world" manufacture of oral appliances.

The newly completed facility is already teaching 100 second year health science students including 55 studying dental science, 20 dental therapy/dental hygiene students, 20 dental technology students and a further six students upgrading to a Masters in Removable Prosthetics.

Foundation Dean of The School of Dentistry and Oral Health, Professor Newell Johnson, described the facilities as "absolutely beautiful in its quality of finish and standard of equipment".

Speaking immediately prior to this month's opening, Prof. Johnson acknowledged the tremendous achievement of key people at Griffith and its contractors and suppliers in having such a wonderful facility completed on time and on budget.

This included Senior Oral Health Lecturer and Business Development Manager, John Mackay, the former operator of private commercial laboratory and removable prosthetics practices on the Gold Coast who for many years strongly advocated the need for common university training for all dental disciplines.

Mr Mackay's views may well have sowed the seeds which eventually culminated in the dental school becoming a reality and in which he now plays an active hands-on role.

"This is the newest and best physical plant in the Southern Hemisphere and the fantastic 'kit' [aka equipment] will attract students and staff from around the world to this university," Professor Johnson said.

Professor Johnson was also hoping Griffith University would attract important funding for research into a number of areas of critical importance to dentistry and would play a valuable role in providing outreach services to underprivileged groups in rural and remote communities in Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Key areas of dental research included dental education (which Prof Johnson sees as a moral responsibility), head and neck oncology (especially oral cancer in conjunction with Griffith Medical School's pathology lab and Gold Coast Hospital), dental implant research involving a collaboration between the Schools of Dentistry, Engineering and Computer Science, oral microbiology and immunology; and immune response focusing on periodontal and mucosal diseases, including the possible development of vaccines to thrush and HIV.

Speaking at the opening, Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie, said establishment of the first dental school in Australia in almost 60 years would mean Queensland would not have to rely on overseas recruitment to fill dental places in the future.

"Queensland now offers the biggest and most comprehensive dental service in Australia for both adults and children and we will be allocating an extra $10 million over the next three years to the areas of greatest need," Mr Beattie said.