Dental Health

Affordable dental care has developed as a significant health policy issue, with media reports that up to 650,000 Australians are on state waiting lists for dental treatment. Poor dental health is associated with a range of serious health conditions, including poor nutrition, cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes.

Just over $5 billion was spent on dental care in Australia in 2004–05. Of this total, individuals paid the majority, spending nearly $3.4 billion in 2004–05. The Commonwealth spent $450 million (largely through rebates for private health insurance premiums) and the states and territories spent $503 million.

Much of the recent debate on dental-care provision has been about government sources of funding. Specifically, debate has focused on whether the current level of unmet demand is a result of inadequate spending by the states, or a failure by the Commonwealth to maintain the former Commonwealth Dental Health Program (CDHP).

There have been calls from many quarters, including parliamentary committees, for greater Commonwealth funding of dental health, either by expanding Medicare to include dental treatments, or reviving the CDHP. Recent Commonwealth policy has focused on the provision of limited dental funding under Medicare for people with chronic illnesses. However, public dental waiting lists remain long.

Private dental care is becoming increasingly expensive and out of reach for many. However, public dental services are not available to all. An additional complicating factor is the size and distribution of the dental workforce. It is estimated that there will be a shortfall of some 1500 dental health providers by 2010.

Addressing barriers to dental care and developing a funding model that removes blame-shifting will be a major challenge for policymakers in the 42nd Parliament.

Documentation
Australian Health Ministers’ Conference, National Advisory Committee on Oral Health, Healthy mouths healthy lives: Australia’s National oral health plan 2004-2013, 2004.
Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council, Oral health of Australians: National planning for oral health improvement Final Report, 2001.
Dental Statistics and Research Unit, University of Adelaide, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Senate Community Affairs References Committee, Report on public dental services, Senate Community Affairs References Committee Canberra, 1998, and Senate Select Committee on Medicare, Medicare – healthcare or welfare, Senate Select Committee on Medicare, Canberra, 2003, Chapter 10.