Media Release
13 May 2011
Oral health: planning for next year’s Budget must start now
Members of the National Oral Health Alliance (NOHA) have welcomed this week’s announcements on dental health, in the belief that they are precursors to major action promised by the Government for
2011-12 and for the Budget in May 2012.
The Labor Government came to office in 2007 with a platform which included major new investment in oral health services for less well-off Australians through national leadership and the provision of better public dental services. This commitment was reiterated in the Gillard Government’s formal agreement with the Greens.
Initial action to meet these commitments has been detailed in this week’s Budget. The Government will allocate $0.5 million to establish a National Advisory Council on Dental Health “to provide advice to the Minister on options to address priority areas for dental health”.
In addition, the Budget has allocated $52.6 million over the next three years for a new voluntary dental internship program and members of NOHA look forward to contributing to its development and roll-out.
The Government has also re-committed to the introduction of a new Commonwealth Dental Health Program (CDHP) and will evaluate trials that have been undertaken of mobile dental facilities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The Medicare-funded Chronic Disease Dental Scheme (CDDS) is planned to end on 31 December 2011, with unspecified funding switched to the CDHP. This will see the Commonwealth Government funding state and territory governments for additional public dental services over three years.
Priority in the new CDHP must be given to eligible people with chronic conditions relating to their oral health, to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and preschool children. There will have to be a transitional strategy and sufficient CDHP funding to provide services to people in need.
Poor oral health is largely preventable through regular dental care and oral health promotion. It is quite unnecessary and unacceptable in this affluent nation that so many children and adults have shockingly poor oral health. Action on oral health must be the absolute number one priority for new health expenditure in the 2012 Budget.
NOHA believes that an improved oral health system is a critical part of a more equitable and effective health system. It has been promoting a plan to meet the needs of the over 30 per cent of Australians who indicate that they currently go without or delay dental care due to cost or unavailability of services. The NOHA plan focuses on oral health promotion and prevention.
Previous Media Releases
20 August 2010
National Oral Health Alliance seeks commitment from all Partiesin the next term to reform access to dental servicesand oral health promotion <290 KB pdf>
13 August 2010
National Oral Health Alliance seeks commitment to a 5-step plan to save decaying dental care <220 KB pdf>
29 July 2010
Stop the Rot: Launch of New Oral Health Campaign <260 KB pdf>
Media contacts
Tessa Boyd-Caine, Australian Council of Social Service, 0419 626 155
Julie Satur, Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapists' Association, 0438 776 046
Neil Hewson, President, Australian Dental Association, 0419 344 587
Tony McBride, Chair, Australian Health Care Reform Alliance, 0407 531 468
Prue Power, Executive Director, Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, 0417 419 857
National Oral Health Alliance
The National Oral Health Alliance has come together to seek solutions to the poor access to services and oral health outcomes experienced by many Australians.
Australian Council of Social Service
Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapists' Association
Australian Dental Association
Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association
Australian Health Care Reform Alliance
Australian Nursing Federation
Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health
Brotherhood of St Laurence
Dental Hygienists' Association of Australia Inc
Health Issues Centre
National Rural Health Alliance
Public Health Association Australia
Media Reports
Both sides called to stop the dental rot
Adam Cresswell, The Australian, 29 July 2010
Fourteen health and social groups have called on both parties to pledge to improve the "decaying" state of the dental system. The groups are warning that long waiting lists mean over 7 million Australians are missing out on dental care.
ALP will feel the pain over dental care
Mark Metherell, The Sydney Morning Herald, 29 July 2010
More than 7 million Australians cannot get dental care when they need it because of long waiting lists, the National Oral Health Alliance is claiming in its campaign being launched today.
The alliance, representing a dozen welfare, dental and health groups, is pressing all parties for action to ensure that all Australians can get dental care when they need it and that there is an effective preventive oral health strategy.
