State of Play - Gurmesh Singh

COFFS HARBOUR MP GURMESH SINGH

It’s no secret that I loved school, but like every kid I also loved Christmas. The excitement of opening presents, some time off, spending time with friends and family were all things I looked forward to towards the end of the school year.

But as Christmas and New Year passed, I would find myself looking forward to going back to school. Friends, sport, study – so much to look forward to. It was also the time to buy new uniforms and stationery. This year, inflation and rising interest rates have hit hip pockets across the state. What should be an exciting time of year might not be for all families. To help ease this cost on families, the NSW Government has launched the Back to School NSW Voucher program which will help families cover the cost of essential school items such as stationery, textbooks, school uniforms, shoes and bags to help combat the rising cost of living. The program will provide families with $150 for each child who attends a primary, secondary school, is home-schooled or enrolled in Year 10 or Year 12 equivalent qualifications at TAFE NSW in NSW in 2023. The program will cover public, private and independent school students and won’t be means tested. The $150 can go towards the cost of school uniforms, shoes, bags or textbooks, as well as other stationery. We want to make sure every child attending school has the opportunity to strive for their best when they are in the classroom and providing access to essential items for learning is our priority. Parents or carers can start applying for the vouchers from now and can spend them until 30 June 2023, giving everyone plenty of time to take advantage of the savings. Applying for the vouchers is simple and can be done in a matter of minutes using the Service NSW app, on the phone or by visiting a Service Centre. Parents and carers can search for registered businesses in their local area by using the online Business Finder Tool and can use multiple vouchers in one transaction. For more information about the vouchers visit www.service.nsw. gov.au/back-to-schoolvouchers. Call Service NSW on 13 77 88 or visit your local Service NSW Centre. You can search for registered businesses here: https://vouchers. service.nsw.gov.au/ vouchers/providerssearch/ Parents and kids should look forward to going back to school and we’ve taken some of the stress out of back-to-school shopping. Happy learning!

WHAT DOES A DENTAL HYGIENIST DO?

Adental hygienist’s role in a dental practice is to treat, manage and maintain your overall oral health. Our focus is on preventive dentistry, which is the practice of caring for your teeth and gums to keep them healthy. This helps to avoid or lower your risk of future dental problems and other health complications. At your oral hygiene appointments, our Dental Hygienists will provide a number of services including: • Alongside the dentist we will assist with a full dental assessment, to note your current dental condition and detect any potential problems. • Completing periodontal charting, to measure the health of the gum and bone levels surrounding each tooth. • Performing professional teeth cleans. This involves scaling and polishing to remove plaque and calculus from the tooth surfaces, including between the teeth and below the gumline. • Fluoride application • Preventing and treating gum inflammation (gingivitis). • Assessing, and if necessary, managing, gum disease (periodontitis) • Oral cancer screening (in conjunction with your dentist) • Saliva testing • Preventative treatments such as fissure sealants • Oral health education and dental product education (including how to brush and floss your teeth properly at home). • Advising if you should be using any specialty dental products (such as high-fluoride toothpaste, or antiseptic mouthwash) depending on your personal medical and oral condition(s). • Advising on lifestyle and medical factors that may negatively affect the health of your mouth. • Diagnosing any problems, or potential problems, in their early stages. • Creating a personalised oral hygiene plan for you, which will include routine dental check-ups and a custom home-care procedure. Maintaining good dental hygiene can greatly reduce your risk of developing cavities (Tooth decay), gum disease, enamel erosion, periodontitis, and other dental problems. This equates to fewer dental visits, less invasive treatment, and less cost. Tooth decay and gum disease are the two most common causes of tooth loss in adults, and they are both preventable with routine dental care and a good at-home oral hygiene routine. At Welcome Dental we offer hygienists to our patients Monday – Friday and one Saturday per month. Our hygienists will use the Airflow unit for cleaning. You can schedule an appointment online at welcomedental.com.au or call us on (02) 6655 5800 and speak to one of our friendly reception team.

Phone: (02) 6655 5800 Email: info@welcomedental.com.au Website: www.welcomedental.com.au Services. Late nights Open Saturdays Online bookings Orthodontic treatments Childrens therapist Bulk billing CDBS AirFlow Meet The Team. Dr Sharon Marinucci Dr Oleg Pushkarev Dr Quintin Wilson Dr Neil McGregor Jessica Cantrill Susan Waldorf

WINNER MARKETING AND ADVERTISING AWARD MID NORTH COAST REGIONAL AWARD WINNER YOUNG BUSINESS LEADER AND EXCELLENCE IN LARGE BUSINESS

CHRISTMAS TRADING HOURS: CLOSED 24TH DEC – 27TH DEC, OPEN 28TH DEC, CLOSED 29TH DEC, OPEN 30TH DEC, CLOSED 31ST DEC – 1ST JAN, OPEN 2ND JAN

Get a head start on your New Year’s Resolutions with Emsculpt at Sapphire Studio! By now you’ve probably started your gym membership, a healthier diet and signed up to that HIIT class, so why not throw one of the most cutting-edge, nonsurgical ways to define your muscles and rid stubborn fat in the mix too! Emsculpt is a new technology to the Coffs Coast – it’s FDAcleared for strengthening, toning, and firming the abdominals and rear region. This gamechanging technology helps to achieve better posture, next-level abdominal contouring results and increases the gluteal region’s strength and stamina to not only help you lose fat and tone the area (all while laying down), but also provide more core and glute strength so you can take your regular work outs up a notch! Emsculpt uses high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology to deliver almost 20,000 muscular contractions in one 30-minute session – that’s equivalent to 20,000 crunches in 30-minutes! During the process, the muscles are essentially overworked and release chemicals that signal fat cells to break down. Once the fat cells are broken down, they’re metabolised and released as waste. You will start noticing changes in the area we treat after your second or third treatment, and in a matter of weeks, others will be asking what you’ve been doing! This is a completely non-invasive treatment with zero down-time or prep, and is widely used by celebrities including the likes of Kim Kardashian, Megan Fox, Britney Spears, Hailey Bieber and more. Over the past few months, we’ve seen some incredible results in our local clients. From people wanting a stronger core to see greater results from their workouts, to new mums who need a little extra help to feel like they’re back to their old selves again. This month we’re offering 30% off as our way of helping you reach your New Year’s Resolution goals faster! Book now through our website or contact us through socials.