Association president Steve Hayward said primary schools across the region received a letter from the Otago District Health Board Community Oral Health Service (COHS) last week, informing principals that all clinics would be closed as early as the middle of this month and replaced with a more centralised service.
COHS project manager Graham Bugler described the new service as a "hub and spoke" model in which centralised clinics would be placed in populated communities and mobile clinics would service the surrounding rural areas.
He told the Otago Daily Times Dunedin would get two hubs (one in South Dunedin, the other in Kaikorai Valley).
Queenstown would get two hubs and Alexandra, Oamaru, Balclutha and Wanaka would get one hub each. Southland's primary school dental clinics would also be closed and replaced with hubs. Invercargill already had two established hubs, and others would be built in Gore and Winton.
Investigations into the establishment of a hub in Riverton were continuing, he said.
Mr Hayward said Otago primary principals were disturbed by the change.
"We used to have a school dental service that was the envy of the world - 100% of our children could access it for free. This will certainly not be the case after their [COHS's] changes.
"My guess is that somewhere around 50% of our children will be able to travel to one of the two super clinics in Dunedin.
"Those without cars or access to good public transport will not be able to get to Kaikorai Valley or South Dunedin."
At present, most children were only out of the classroom for a short time to have their teeth checked and most needed no further treatment, he said.
"Under the new plan, many parents will struggle to get time off work to pick up their children, deliver them to the new clinic, only to be told that their teeth are fine and no further treatment is needed.
"Travelling by public transport could see many children away from school for most of the day."
Mr Hayward said Otago principals had spoken at length to the Otago District Health Board about the plan during the consultation process and were angry their input had fallen on deaf ears.
"The consultation process is an absolute farce. Not one of our recommendations was taken on board. They've gone ahead and done this regardless of what we think. If it goes ahead, we will see black and toothless smiles on children wandering school grounds.
"I fail to see how this is going to be better than what we've already had."
Mr Bugler said the project was part of the Ministry of Health's Good Oral Health, For Life, For All Strategy which was being implemented throughout New Zealand.
The first hub was opened in Ashburton last week.
"The project will produce services that are operationally separate in each district, but they will be regionally consistent in terms of infrastructure, staffing arrangements, and clinical practices."
Mr Bugler said one of the reasons for the change was many school dental clinics were "old and decrepit" and many schools were unhappy about maintaining them.
"It comes down to dollars and cents. There are financial constraints - we need to maximise the resources."
