Drilling into Dental Health: VOHA Media Report

Across regional Australia, children are enduring extended waits for urgent dental care, leaving many in pain as the system struggles to cope. This article highlights the growing crisis and its implications for young Australians and their families.

Australians fork out much more on dental care than any other kind of health care. Which is why increasingly, people are delaying or skipping dental care, and 27% of kids aged between 5 and 10 have untreated decayed or missing teeth.

So should, or could dental care be brought under the Medicare umbrella, and what might this cost?

Guests:

• Peter Breadon (Program Director for Health and Aged Care at the Grattan Institute)
• Dr Angie Nisson (Board Member of the Australian Dental Association and Clinical Director of Oral Health in Northern NSW)
• Dr Elizabeth Deveny (CEO of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia)

Explore the critical need to integrate dental care into Medicare to address inequities in oral health. Tim Woodruff discusses the social, economic, and health implications of overlooking dental care as an essential health service.

A groundbreaking study has revealed that oral diseases are costing the global economy $710 billion annually. The report sheds light on the widespread impact of oral health issues and calls for urgent reforms in healthcare systems worldwide.

A new oral health report reveals a troubling increase in hospitalisations due to preventable dental conditions across Australia. The findings raise concerns over access to affordable dental care and its impact on public health.

The Oral Health and Dental Care in Australia report provides key insights into the nation’s oral health trends. The findings reveal significant concerns about oral health ratings and social impacts across children and adults over time.

Key Findings:

• About 1 in 14 (7.4%) of children aged 5–17 years rated their oral health as fair or poor.
• The proportion of children experiencing any social impact of oral health increased from 13% in 2002 to 20% in 2018.
• 1 in 4 (24%) dentate adults aged 18 years and over rated their oral health as fair or poor in 2021.
• The proportion of Australians aged 18 years and over reporting social impacts of oral health increased from 32% in 1994 to 44% in 2021.
• Those aged 18 years and over rating their oral health as fair or poor increased from 17% in 2005 to 24% in 2021.