A pair of Wangaratta schools are set to benefit from the state government’s expansion of their free dental care program for kids.

Borinya and Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School have been made eligible to sign up to the state’s Smile Squad free dental program.

St Joseph’s Primary School in Chiltern and Indi School Wodonga have also been included.

Smile Squad will initially be available to 54 schools across the state who have been invited to participate with a phased roll out to all low-fee non-government schools to follow.

Premier Jacinta Allan, making the announcement on Monday, said no child or family should be left behind because of expensive dental care, which can cost up to $400 a year per child.

“We’re providing free dental care for children because only a Labor Government invests in health and children,” she said.

Smile Squad provides checkups, treatment and follow up care by mobile teams of dedicated oral health clinicians.

Since 2019, Smile Squad has visited more than 1000 public schools, seen more than 160,000 students and delivered more than one million oral health packs.

For more information about Smile Squad, visit health.vic.gov.au/smile-squad.