Why action on oral health now?
Good oral health is fundamental — but access to prevention and care is far from equally available to all Victorians, and levels of public adult care have not shifted for a long time. There needs to be progress in the next term of Parliament.
Stark inequities persist in oral health and have worsened in the last decade.
Despite improvements made over the decades (e.g. 95% Victorians have access to fluoridated water and the major investment made in rebooting a prevention focused school dental service), hundreds of thousands of Victorians at the highest risk of oral disease continue to be left behind. Demand outruns public supply leaving long waiting lists, likely to increase as cost-of-living pressures increase, and preventive activities are not at scale. These drive persistently high rates of potentially preventable dental hospitalisations, especially for pre-school children.
Public dental programs in Victoria face growing constraints with government
funding declining by approximately 28% per consumer in real (CPI-adjusted) terms since pre-COVID times (FY19-20), reducing the financial viability of community based delivery models. Those disproportionately affected by inadequate prevention and appropriate early intervention include rural Victorians, the growing number of older people, preschool aged children, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, First Nations people, people affected by mental health issues, including alcohol and other drugs, victims of domestic violence, and others on low-incomes.
To view the comprehensive election platform you can download or view the Official VOHA Election Platform 2026 below:
Victorian Oral Health Alliance 