Cutting-edge unit donation enhancing community oral healthcare, dental education

Cutting-edge unit donation to enhance community oral healthcare, dental education

The power of partnerships in advancing community oral healthcare took centre stage today, as the Tygerberg Oral Health Centre and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) unveiled its latest addition: a state-of-the-art Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) unit.

This donation highlights ongoing efforts by the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, UWC and its partners to improve dental services within our communities. The generous donation, along with training to staff, was made possible by Vatech, a global X-ray imaging company based in South Korea, who has partnered with South African-based supplier SciVision Medical. The CBCT unit, additional equipment and training is valued at over R3 million.

The Vatech Green X 18 CBCT offers the latest technological advancements, which will allow dental professionals to deliver more accurate diagnoses, precise treatments and overall improved patient experiences. The Green X machine is renowned for minimal radiation exposure and energy conservation. While historical challenges in the X-ray industry revolved around achieving image precision, the subsequent focus shifted towards mitigating radiation dosage.

Dr Keith Cloete, head of the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, acknowledged the generosity of the donors and the impact of partnerships in advancing healthcare. “The addition of the Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) technology to our dental imaging service represents another significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to introduce appropriate technology to improve our patient care, through enhanced precision of our interventions. We proudly celebrate and embrace partnerships of this nature, as we navigate the introduction of technological advances in a responsible and proactive manner”.

Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Professor Nomafrench Mbombo, attended the launch event and thanked all partners for their contributions to healthcare in the province.

“We extend our gratitude to Vatech for their generosity through the donation of the cutting-edge Dento-facial CBCT unit and comprehensive service support training. Their donation exemplifies the transformative impact that collaboration between public institutions and private organisations can have on advancing dental services and ensuring the well-being of our community. The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness remains steadfast in its commitment to embracing state-of-the-art technology, thereby enhancing the quality of services provided by our dedicated professionals.”

Tygerberg Oral Health Centre patients will benefit from high-quality imaging thanks to the unit's advanced features. This will also provide UWC lecturers and students with educational opportunities. "At UWC, we are dedicated to promoting oral health through teaching, learning, service rendering, community engagement, and research," said Professor Veerasamy Yengopal, Dean of Dentistry at UWC. "The addition of this state-of-the-art CBCT unit, made possible through a partnership with Vatech, will enhance our ability to deliver exceptional patient service, facilitate teaching and training, and advance our research capabilities."

Dr Jaco Walters, from UWC's Department of Craniofacial Biology, Pathology, and Radiology, highlighted the transformative potential of the CBCT unit: "This partnership with Vatech represents a significant step forward in our commitment to providing high-quality dental care and education. The advanced features of the CBCT unit will not only benefit our patients but also provide invaluable educational opportunities for our lecturers and students."

SciVision medical’s X-Ray trainer, Renso De Jager, emphasised the significance of this collaboration, stating, “UWC’s Dental School and Tygerberg Oral Health Centre share the institution, enabling the public and students to benefit from the combination of hands-on clinical care, education as well as global research. With the partnership of Vatech's Green X unit in the X-Ray department, we can we offer all patients the diagnostic needs they require for their respective treatments and also assist the various departments with their case planning such as the latest in Ceph images and tracing, AI implant and endodontic planning, Orthognathic planning, and full reporting tools, to name a few.”

Vatech UK Managing Director, Franc Jang, added: “We are thrilled to contribute to Tygerberg Oral Health Centre and UWC’s Faculty of Dentistry's mission of excellence in dental care and education. Vatech's mission to break down global healthcare barriers, and caring for underserved people with our technology aligns true to the goals of the university hospital. The Green X, 3-in-1 x-ray system is the industry's finest technology with the smallest voxel size to achieve the highest resolution, AI automated Panoramic imaging and the new Rapid Ceph in 1.9 seconds minimises patient motion artifacts for a more accurate diagnostic image. Vatech are pioneers of premium image quality, chic design combined with low dose x-ray systems. The Green X unit chosen is an unrivalled technological phenomenon that will catapult the university's commitment to first class healthcare, empowering students, lecturers, and the Tygerberg Oral Health Centre radiology team with the latest technology that ultimately benefits patients and advances dental care. Without the expertise of SciVision Medical's invaluable support in terms of installation, training, and preparation of the ceremony, this transformative donation would not have been possible.”

We extend our appreciation to Vatech and our partners at the University of the Western Cape and SciVision Medical. Our Department looks forward to the positive impact this donation will have on the lives of our patients that we serve and all students.