Shocking new research from the Australian Dental Association (ADA) has revealed two thirds of people don’t visit the dentist annually, instead waiting until there’s a problem. The survey also revealed it is the cost of treatment keeping them away.
The ADA’s annual oral health survey of 25,000 people has found that only around one third (31 per cent) of people go to the dentist for a checkup every year.
The results showed 61 per cent of people had made a conscious decision to delay treatment in the past 12 months, which is a 17 per cent increase over the past 13 years.
Cost was the most frequently listed (63 per cent) reason for delaying treatment, up 12 per cent from last year, showing the impact of inflation in the past 12 months.
Seniors finding it particularly hard
Dr Scott Davis, ADA president, says the figures show the average Aussie is struggling to pay for dental work, and that it’s time for the government to step in.
“There needs to be help from the government for a greater number of Australians so they can get the regular dental treatment they so badly need and often can’t afford,” he says.
“This is particularly the case for seniors in residential aged care, and our most vulnerable populations … those on low wages and people with a disability.
“He says an investment from government would prevent much larger public health costs down the line.
“If people saw their dentist regularly, they’d be less likely to face more complex treatment further down the track. Government-funded schemes for our most vulnerable populations would go a long way to making this a reality for millions of Aussies for whom at the moment a dental visit isn’t a financial reality.”
Only 23 per cent of respondents had been to the dentist at all in the past five years and it’s having a demonstrable affect on the oral health of the public.
Approximately one third (32 per cent) rated their oral health as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ – and over half of these were aged over 65. One of the main reasons given for their poor mouth health was ‘not visiting the dentist often enough’.
“What these statistics clearly demonstrate is that there isn’t enough help for these vulnerable populations which number in their millions,” says Dr Davis.
“The current system of government assistance for them is ailing – eligible people wait years on public dental waiting lists just to have their first appointment, often enduring years of pain.
How can it be fixed?
Late last year, the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) conducted an inquiry into dental care funding, which resulted in several proposed funding models that ranged from 100 per cent dental coverage for everyone to more selective subsidies to help people keep their oral health in check.
One option, known as the ‘seniors dental care’ option, proposes full rebates on scheduled fees for holders of the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card who are also aged 65 and over.
Of all the funding models proposed, the ADA says it supports the seniors dental care option the most.
“The ADA favours the seniors scheme which the PBO has calculated would cost just $15.7 billion over a decade,” says Dr Davis.
“This is cheap compared to trying to deliver dentistry to every Australian at a cost of around five times that at $77 billion a decade, according to Treasury costings.
“Once it’s rolled out and evaluated, everything is in place to roll out successive schemes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, those on low incomes and people with a disability. So, what’s the government waiting for?”
Have you had to delay dental treatment due to cost? Should the government fund seniors dental care? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: Is accessing super to pay for dental care a good idea?
Dental work should be available to everybody, not just pensioners/health card holders. It has been proven in many studies that you decrease the risks, especially heart related conditions, that having good oral hygiene will decrease risks. Any sort of dental work, not cosmetic (unless from an accident), should be covered under Medicare. Why is it that the mouth, or should I say more specifically the teeth, not be included as it is part of the human body.
I’ve now been on the NSW ‘public’ dental list for 3 months for an ‘urgent’ filling which fell out and is now causing lots of pain, and is causing my tongue to get ‘cut’ every time I put something into my mouth. Have followed up with them, but they still can’t offer me an appointment, nor a referral to a private dentist (until they’ve seen me). I live in the largest rural city in NSW, and there’s just not enough ‘dentists’ in the public system. BTW, the ‘standard’ waiting time to see the dentist in an urgent situation is a month, but I’ve been waiting 3!
The public dental services are for those under 16 and those with concession cards. What about the people in between 16 & 67? (or earlier if you have a PCC). You have to pay for Dental benefits from a Private Health Insurer, and they still don’t cover all the costs. Most give you 2 fee-free check ups a year, which makes sense.