Cerebral Palsy Alliance completes new clinic with grant

The Cerebral Palsy Alliance has used its US$6000 grant to assist with the purchase of a new autoclave for its recently opened dental clinic located in the Sydney suburb of Allambie Heights.

This volunteer run service will help positively impact over 400 children and adults with cerebral palsy. The grant will also assist the working environment of the 20 volunteer dentists who staff the facility.

"This grant has helped us to finish off the new dental clinic," said Dr Robert Watson, the local dentist who chairs the group of volunteers who treat patients at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance dental clinic.

"The autoclave we'd been using was old and problematic, but we simply didn't have the budget to replace it. This grant from the ADAF and the Wrigley Company Foundation has allowed us to ensure every aspect of the new clinic represents best practice."

A DAC Professional autoclave from Sirona was funded with the grant with the price heavily discounted by Sirona.

The new clinic now allows patients with wheelchairs to move around the dental unit easily and a hoist is available to move patients in and out of the dental chair. Further, a 2011 grant from Wrigley was used to purchase a tilting platform for wheelchairs for the clinic to allow patients to be treated whilst remining in their wheelchair.

"All the dentists work here on a volunteer basis but we don't take shortcuts and we ensure patients have the best care that we can possibly deliver," Dr Watson said. "We also want to ensure all the volunteers have a safe and professional environment to work in and the addition of the new autoclave helps facilitate this.

"I cannot commend the ADA and Wrigleys enough on this initiative and everyone who volunteers at the clinic and all our patients are grateful for the continuing support we receive from grants like this and the dental community at large."