Waiting list for dentistry hits poor the worst (Australia)

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Waiting list for dentistry hits poor the worst

andra January 16, 2008

MORE than 158,000 people in NSW are on dental waiting lists, latest

figures reveal, as a report warns that people who rely on public

dental services are more likely to have teeth extractions than

preventive treatment.

The Iemma Government yesterday released figures on dental waiting

lists after a campaign from dentists, who have been pushing for the

information to be made publicly available in an attempt to highlight

the extent of the crisis.

Waiting times are now so long that patients have reported having to

pull out their own teeth to escape excruciating pain. Children as

young as two have been forced to wait a year to see a public dentist

despite battling high fevers caused by infected teeth.

The NSW Health figures reveal that 82,669 people are waiting to see a

public dentist and a further 76,122 are awaiting treatment.

Dentists welcomed the release of the figures but were critical that

they were not broken down to show ages or how long people were waiting.

An Australian Health and Welfare Institute report released yesterday

warned that people using public dental services or those from

low-income groups were more likely to have teeth extracted than

private patients who can afford regular check-ups.

The report said most people who last made a public dental visit had

X-rays, fillings or extractions, or had dentures fitted, while very

few received a preventive scale and clean.

The NSW branch of the Australian Dental Association admitted it had

expected the NSW figures to be closer to 200,000 but warned that the

waiting lists would not improve until the wage gap between public and

private dentists was narrowed.

" The main reason why public dental services focus on emergency care

rather then prevention is workforce-related, " said the chairman of the

NSW branch, Tony Burges.

" We are quietly confident that a workforce review currently under way

will help boost recruitment and retention strategies for public dental

services through improved salaries and career structures. "

The association said NSW invested less per capita on dental services

than any other state or territory in Australia. " We encourage the [NSW

health] minister to follow the example set by other state and

territory ministers and make greater investment in NSW public dental

services a priority of the next NSW Budget, " Dr Burges said.

The Opposition health spokeswoman, Jillian Skinner, said the number of

people waiting to see a dentist was a disgrace. The State Government

had refused to allocate funds to treat the tens of thousands on the

list, she said.

The Health Minister, Reba Meagher, blamed the previous federal

government. " One of the first acts of the government was to

abolish the Commonwealth Dental Health Program, which saw public

dental waiting times increase dramatically in all states, " she said.

" This week's announcement in Brisbane marks the beginning of a new era

of state/Commonwealth co-operation. The NSW Government looks forward

to continuing to work with the Commonwealth to deliver better health

services to the people of NSW. "

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/waiting-list-for-dentistry-hits-poor-the-wor\

st/2008/01/15/1200159449369.html