NSW Opposition offers a new dental health model

The NSW Opposition has certainly raised the bar in oral health policy debates around the country by issuing its $208m package of additional measures by which to improve oral care in NSW. The parties participating in the Victorian election are being urged to consider a similarly comprehensive package of measures for Victoria, which is experiencing quite similar problems to NSW.

This 'Good Teeth, Good Health' policy makes extensive reference to the recent Parliamentary Inquiry into Dental Services in NSW.

The NSW Liberal/National package will commit:

• $65 million to reduce dental treatment waiting lists and improve public dental health, including funds for comprehensive and preventative treatment;
• $40.18 million to increase remuneration for all dental professionals in the public service. This will align remuneration more closely with the private sector and other health-care providers in the public sector and will help attract and retain dental health professionals into the NSW public health system;
• $28.62 million for more dental and para-dental clinicians attracted and retained over time as working conditions improve for dental health workers;
• $7.95 million for fluoridation and oral-health promotion campaigns;
• $5.6 million to establish a Clinical Institute of Dental Health to be responsible for policy development and disbursement of the public dental budget;
• $57.3 million to provide dental internships to improve training and immediately increase the public dental health workforce; and,
• $3.6 million for Rural And Remote dental education scholarships to support the training and development of dentists dedicated to rural and remote service.