Nearly half of Australians missing out on regular Dental Check-ups
A report has revealed that almost half of Australians are missing out on regular dental check-ups.
The report, which was compiled by John Spencer, a professor of social and preventative dentistry at the University of Adelaide, showed that around 40 percent of the Australian population do not attend regular dental check-ups.
The report also revealed that 30 percent of people avoided going to the dentist on a regular basis because they could not afford the cost of dental care and had difficulty accessing a dentist.
Professor Spencer said that 30 percent of Australians only visit the dentist when they are already experiencing severe tooth pain; this often means that they have advanced decay or gum disease, which could probably have been treated much earlier if they had attended regular check-ups. According to the report, there are many different reasons why people avoid their dentist, including fear of the dentist, cost, difficulty getting an appointment and anxiety about their oral health status.
The president of the Australian Dental Association, Dr Shane Friar, said that he was not surprised by the results of the report; he said that there were significant gaps in accessibility to dental services amongst the adult population, with those from deprived areas suffering from poor oral health.
Tony McBride, chairman of the Australian Healthcare Reform Alliance, claimed that there was a real problem with adult dental care, with many adults unable to access affordable dental treatment. Figures show that school programmes have had a positive effect on children’s oral health but more needed to be done to make the playing field more level for adults.
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