GANNAWARRA residents are waiting more than two years on average for general dental care amid calls for both levels of government to address the “unacceptable” wait times.
New data released by the Australian Dental Association Victorian branch (ADAVB) shows public dental care wait time faced by Murray Plains residents is now 29 months – higher than the Victorian average of 26.7 months across Victoria.
ADAVB CEO Associate Professor Matt Hopcraft said public dental care in Victoria continued to surge over the past 12 months under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Associate Professor Hopcraft said waiting times have seen an increase of four months since the same time last year in the worst delays in care this decade.
He said that while the ADAVB supported the one-off injection of funds to manage the backlog, the Victorian Government had been warned that there was a need for a more sustainable funding increase. Previous experience showed waiting list numbers would grow quickly.
“The ADAVB is calling on the State and Federal Governments to prioritise the importance of dental health by boosting funding to tackle waiting lists in the short term and providing a sustainable increase in funding in the long term to double the number of patients receiving care over the next five years,” he said.
“We are also concerned about issues relating to recruitment and retention of dentists.
“It is vital that the Victorian Government ensures that we have a strong public dental sector so that vulnerable Victorians can access necessary care.”
ADAVB president Dr Warren Shnider said patients have had to defer routine dental care, regular dental check-ups and preventive treatment, leading to a deterioration in their oral health.
“Dentists are still seeing many patients with escalated problems, that could have been managed in a conservative manner, progressing to more serious disease,” he said.
“Dental practices continue to face challenges caused by the continuing pandemic with staff and patient illness interrupting normal business activity.
“ADAVB is calling on both levels of government to work together to sustainably address the unacceptable public dental care wait times faced by Victorians, and to ensure that future COVID-19 lockdowns do not place unnecessary restrictions on access to necessary and essential dental care.”
Rural doctors are also urging the Federal Government to expand the support it provides to disadvantaged Australians to help make access to dental care more affordable, as well as introduce improved measures to entice more dentists to work in the bush.
The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) also urged rural Australians to make Dental Health Week the time to book an appointment for a dental check-up.
“Dental health is crucial to your overall health and, just like any other part of your body, you need to look after your teeth and gums,” RDAA president Dr Megan Belot said.
“Rural and remote Australians tend to have poorer diets than their urban counterparts (including consuming more sugary foods and drinks), higher rates of smoking and drinking, and poorer oral health,” says Dr Belot, who is also a visiting doctor in Cohuna and Kerang.
“So while it can be all too easy to avoid regular dental check-ups – particularly in rural and remote areas where the wait for dental appointments can be long or you have to drive hours to access dental care – they are critical.”
Dr Belot said lower average incomes – and difficulties accessing a dentist in many rural communities – are significant impediments for rural and remote Australians in seeking dental care, from basic check-ups through to major dental treatment.
