Inquiry into the Provision of and Access to Dental Care in Australia – Senate Select Committee
In June 2023, The Salvation Army provided a submission to the Select Committee into the Provisions of and Access to Dental Care in Australia.
In this submission, we outline the challenges that Australians face with the current policies surrounding dental and oral care. Our recommendations come down to the need for dental care to be made equitable, through enhanced affordability and accessibility. We urge for an approach to dental care which is uniform and integrated, and for dental care to be included within the current public healthcare system.
This submission covers:
- The crushing cost of dental care. Dental treatments have transformed into unattainable luxuries for a significant portion of the population. Public health schemes fall short in providing comprehensive coverage, leaving Australians burdened with out-of-pocket expenses that perpetuate the cycle of unmet oral care.
- Dental deserts. The scarcity of dental clinics and dental professionals in rural and remote areas paints a bleak picture of inequality. The vulnerable, including older Australians, people living with a disability, and those without reliable transportation, face significant obstacles in accessing even basic dental care.
- Devastating oral health impacts. Neglected dental issues escalate into more serious health conditions which are more costly to rectify. A lack of affordable and accessible care forces individuals to bear the burden of untreated dental problems, silently enduring pain, deteriorating health, and a diminishing sense of self-worth.
- Economic burdens. Over time untreated dental issues turn into more serious health concerns that require costly treatments. This in turn falls on public healthcare resources, with taxpayers bearing the cost.
The Salvation Army’s recommendations include but are not limited to bulk-billing dental treatments, integrating dental care across all states, including dental care and treatments as part of the Medicare system.
The committee is to present an interim report by 20 June 2023; and a final report by 28 November 2023.