Duelling dental programs

The Federal Opposition has announced that a Labor Government would reinstate the Commonwealth dental program at a cost of $290 million over three years. The ALP suggests that this program would create up to one million additional dental sessions over this period.

Under the scheme, the money would be given to the States and Territories enabling them to supplement existing public dental services or buy private sector appointments for public patients. Currently about 650,000 people are on public dental waiting lists.

The Coalition’s dental program gives Medicare funding for dental care in the private system for people with chronic health conditions that affect their oral health and the elderly. It is costed at $385 million over four years - which is roughly the same annual allocation as is offered by the ALP scheme.

ADA’s Federal President, Dr John Matthews, said there were merits in both plans but questioned the capacity of Labor’s scheme to provide one million more visits.

The National Oral Health Alliance called on all parties to ensure that all concession cardholders had a free basic dental care every two years, extend water fluoridation to all communities, and conduct a national review of the oral health workforce.