Health and Wellness
- (a) How many (i) schools, (ii) communities and (iii) clinics have been visited as part of the dentist drive in the past two financial years, (b) how many (i) children and (ii) adults have received dental services through this initiative and (c) what specific dental services are offered during the dentist drive;
- whether preventative oral health awareness campaigns are part of the drive; if so, how are they implemented;
- what is the total budget allocated to the dentist drive in the past two financial years?
(1)(a)
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness does not have a specific provincial programme called the “dentist drive”. Oral health services are provided as part of routine facility-based oral health services, school and early childhood development outreach, preventative oral health education, and local partnership initiatives. This aligns with the Department’s broader service platform, which includes dental clinics and specialised oral health services, as well as the provision of affordable and comprehensive oral health services through dental training hospitals.
Based on the information submitted by services for the past two financial years, oral health outreach activities included the following reported visits:
Area | Reported visits or outreach |
Eastern/Southern substructure | 7 schools and 31 crèches |
Northern/Tygerberg substructure | 125 ECD centres in 2024/25 and 219 in 2025/26 |
Oral Health Centre | 2 ECD centres in 2025/26 |
Cape Winelands District | 39 primary schools |
Overberg District | Dental screening at 11 schools and 16 crèches; toothbrushing programmes at 7 schools and 13 crèches |
Garden Route/Central Karoo linked activities | 11 schools, broader Knysna community outreach, and 68 ECD facilities reached through the Knysna Education Trust preventative programme |
The information does not reflect oral health services delivered at clinics as these are generally rendered through routine health service points and facility-based services.
(1)(b) The submitted information records dental headcount and service activity but does not consistently disaggregate the figures into children and adults. The available dental headcount reported was:
Financial year | Dental headcount reported |
2024/25 | 42 722 |
2025/26 | 28 519 |
Child-specific preventative services reported include fissure sealants on first and second molars, with 1 577 recorded in 2024/25 and 883 in 2025/26.
(1)(c) The dental services reported through these routine oral health and outreach activities include:
Service | 2024/25 | 2025/26 |
Tooth extractions | 80 922 | 67 845 |
Fissure sealants, first and second molars, children | 1 577 | 883 |
Tooth restorations | 4 617 | 5 930 |
Scale and polish | 0 | 54 |
Fluoride applications | 0 | 54 |
(2) Yes. Preventative oral health awareness forms part of routine oral health outreach and education. These interventions support a shift from curative to preventative care. These activities include:
- School-based oral health education sessions
- Daily supervised toothbrushing programmes using fluoride toothpaste
- On-site brushing demonstrations
- Education on reducing sugar intake (foods and beverages)
- Training of educators (200+ teachers trained in oral hygiene advocacy)
- Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme integration
- Parent and caregiver engagement initiatives
- Community outreach campaigns and oral health talks
(3) There is no dedicated or ring-fenced provincial budget allocated specifically to a “dentist drive” over the past two financial years. Oral health services and outreach activities are funded through existing operational allocations, including Goods and Services for dental consumables and Compensation of Employees where staff time is required.
Some local activities are supported through partnership arrangements. For example, the Garden Route/Central Karoo linked dental initiative operates as a cost-neutral public-private partnership, with the Department contributing in-kind support, including clinical staff, facilities, consumables, and governance, while partners support logistics and operational coordination.
