New data from the Australian Institute of health and Welfare has highlighted that there has been an increase in the number of preventable hospital admissions as a result of dental problems over the past year, and the highest rate was amongst children aged 5-9 years. Yet paediatric dentists are having their access to general anaesthetic lists cut because they are no longer profitable for hospitals. The current system of funding hospital activity does not reflect the complexity and duration of paediatric dental procedures. Private hospitals will receive around $900 for a dental procedure, regardless of the length of time, but it costs about $1500 per hour to provide that hospital service.
Dental caries is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting Australian children, and there is a disproportionate burden of disease in more disadvantaged community groups. There is a need for greater advocacy efforts across the dental profession to improve access to care and prevent dental disease.
In this episode of Dental As Anything we talk to paediatric dental specialist Tim Keys about the crisis in paediatric dentistry. The issues with access to general anaesthetic services are longstanding, and should be of concern to everyone in the dental profession, because it points to the broader lack of priority that governments place on oral health.
You can listen to the podcast here, and it is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts - don’t forget to follow/subscribe, and share with your friends.
Contact your Member of Parliament
Contact your Federal Member of Parliament and let them know about the problems that your patients have in accessing paediatric dental services.
Search for you Federal Member of Parliament here to find their email address.
Use the form letter below and personalise it before sending.
Your voice and the stories of your patients and the community that you serve are a critical part of the advocacy puzzle.
In case you missed it, you can catch up with the previous episodes of the Dental As Anything podcast here and read news articles here.
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