Dental Experts Pushing for Reforms in Australia
Dental experts are backing proposals for radical reforms to the dental care system in Australia.
Experts across the country are supporting the introduction of a new universal dental care system, which would improve access to routine dental care for thousands of Australians.
The proposed system would enable all children and low income earners to access free dental care, a shake-up, which would undoubtedly have a major impact on standards of oral health among young people in Australia.
Currently, problems with access to affordable dentistry are well-documented, with some people forced to travel extremely long distances for treatment and others advised to join lengthy waiting lists. People living in rural communities are worst-affected, with the ratio of dentists to patients alarmingly low.
Expert advisers commissioned by the government to produce a report have urged ministers to introduce a new system, which will cost billions of dollars in the short-term but will improve standards of oral health and cut the cost of dental care in the long-run.
The expert panel is expected to release the report today in a move which will be welcomed by public health and dental experts, as well as the Green Party. The Greens have been campaigning for a better dental care system since they joined the coalition after Julia Gillard’s Labor party failure to achieve the majority of votes at the general election.
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