Southern District Health Board women and children's and public health general manager Pip Stewart described the clinic as "taking oral health in North Otago to the next level".
The purpose-built two-chair clinic will provide free dental care for all children from pre-school age up to 12 years old who live in and around Oamaru. It replaces part-time dental clinics at Fenwick, Oamaru Intermediate and Weston Schools and mobile clinics to Hampden, Maheno, Papakaio, Pembroke and Totara areas, whose pupils will use the new centralised clinic.
It will have four fulltime staff - two dental therapists and two dental assistants - and is equipped with modern facilities and digital X-ray technology which allow a wider range of treatments.
