The Smiling Starts Early Childhood Dental Program is an initiative of the Government of Western Australia (WA).
Smiling Starts will offer all children under 5, free access to oral health information, screenings and preventive care, ensuring a healthier future for every young smile in our State.
The rollout will include children between 6 to 17 months of age in selected sites as part of the first intake (stage one), enabling the number of sites to grow with the program over time.
By teaming up with dedicated oral health professionals and caring communities, Smiling Starts is ensuring that good oral health habits start early—because a healthy smile is a superpower everyone deserves.
We know prevention is key when it comes to oral health. Smiling Starts is partnering with your community health nurse to help make sure your child's teeth stay healthy and strong.
Your community health nurse can offer an oral health screening during any of your child’s health checks. If there are any concerns identified by the nurse, or by you, eligible children aged between 6 to 17 months can now be referred to the Smiling Starts program.
Smiling Starts offers:
With the Smiling Starts program, your child will have an opportunity to learn and develop habits that will stay with them throughout their development, helping them keep their smile bright and healthy as they grow.
In the first instance, Smiling Starts is available to WA children who meet all of the following criteria:
Your community health nurse will advise you when the program is available in your area.
Stay tuned for more information about further development of the program. Once the program is fully implemented, all WA children under 5 years of age will be eligible for important preventive treatment and education through the Smiling Starts Early Childhood Dental Program.
If you need more information or have any questions about eligibility, feel free to contact us:
