Only one in three Australians visit the dentist regularly because costs keep them away, while the dental association is calling on the federal government to expand subsidies.
Two in three Australians only visit the dentist when they have a problem as cost of living pressures continue to bite amid calls for expanded dental subsidies.
In an oral health survey of 25,000 people, 61 percent had delayed dental treatment in the past 12 months, with affordability accounting for 63 percent of the reason.
This represents a 17 percent increase in the number of people delaying regular check-ups over the past 13 years, while the cost issue has increased by 12 percent compared to 2022.
One in three people has suffered from tooth or gum pain, swelling or infection in the face in the past year, and these problems are more common in older age groups.
The Australian Dental Association is calling for government subsidies for older Australians to be expanded.
People would be less likely to face complex and costly dental treatments in the future if they visited their dentist regularly, said the association’s president, Scott Davis.
“Government-funded plans for our most vulnerable populations would go a long way to making this a reality for millions of Australians for whom a visit to the dentist is not a financial reality right now,” he said.
Only one in three Australians visit the dentist regularly because costs put them off, as dental association calls on federal government to expand subsidies (file image)
Survey figures show that only seven percent of people have visited the dentist in the past six months, while 10 percent did so in the past six to 12 months.
Nearly half received treatment for their problems, but about one in four did not because of cost barriers around treatments.
“The current system of government assistance for them is flawed: eligible people wait years on public dental waiting lists just to get their first appointment, and often endure years of pain,” said Dr. Davis.
“There are hundreds of thousands of Australians suffering in this way.”
The dental association wants the health minister to introduce a Medicare seniors plan that the Parliamentary Budget Office estimates would cost $15.7 billion over a decade.
“This is cheap compared with trying to bring dental services to all Australians, at a cost five times that – or $77 billion per decade, according to Treasury estimates.”
Children are already offered subsidised dental treatment under the Dental Benefits Act and structures are in place to extend this to older people, indigenous peoples, people on low incomes and people with disabilities.
In an oral health survey of 25,000 people, 61 percent had delayed dental treatment in the past 12 months, with affordability accounting for 63 percent of the reason (stock image)