DHSV vans for sale

Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) is selling 10 vans and five caravans. DHSV considers them unsuitable for use as dental caravans or dental vans. All the vehicles are being sold in “as is” condition - eight are unregistered.

They can be inspected on Wednesday 4 March at 11am and tenders close on March 16. For further information contact Brian Raynor on Phone (03) 9341 1351 during business hours.

Dental costs will increase under new award - ADA

The Federal Government's insistence on creating uniform minimum employment standards across the health industry will push up dental costs and reduce surgery opening hours, the ADA told the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) yesterday.

The Association told the AIRC in Sydney that simplifying employment standards is also at odds with a Labor plan for improving oral health.

Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard has set a strict timetable for hundreds of awards that set minimum conditions across industry to be vastly simplified by January.

But ADA wants the dental profession to continue under separate conditions. Barrister Arthur Moses SC, for ADA, told the AIRC that private dental practice was an identifiable, distinct industry sector with a job classification structure, rates of pay, penalty rates and allowances. Click here for access to his submission to the AIRC.

Mr Moses said the proposed minimum adult wage of $637 a week for dental assistants entering the industry at level four was significantly higher - with the exception of Queensland - than the existing rate. He said proposed penalty rates for Saturday also exceeded the current rate applying around Australia, except for in Queensland.A number of allowances proposed under the new award also do not currently apply for the dental industry.

According to the ADA, the Health and Hospitals Reform Commission believes the cost of dental care has already created problems for disadvantaged people gaining access to care. The establishment of more expensive Award provisions therefore conflicts with efforts to reduce the cost of delivering dental care.

Ms Gillard is committed to a simpler award system and is showing no signs at this stage of allowing exemptions.

Social Insurance Scheme for Dental Care costed

In addition to its Interim Report, which was highlighted in an ADAVB Blog Post earlier today, the Health and Hospitals Reform Commission has released a detailed discussion paper Costing a Social Insurance Scheme for Dental Care - November 2008 (PDF 300 KB).

The introduction to the report notes that:
"PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was requested by the Secretariat of the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission (the Commission) to estimate the cost of the proposed National Oral Health scheme (the Scheme), a national social insurance scheme for dental care focussing on preventative and restorative dental services. This report also discusses a number of key issues and risks which we have identified whilst performing our analysis."

ADA Inc responds to Denticare Proposals

The Australian Dental Association's Federal President, Dr Neil Hewson has issued a media release responding to proposals from the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission regarding a new national dental scheme, and other measures intended to improve oral health services.

The ADA has rejected the Commission's proposed Denticare scheme, saying a universal dental scheme is not necessary, and would be ‘fiscally irresponsible’ and 'unlikely to deliver quality dental care’.

The ADA Media Release states "With current expenditure on dentistry being over $6 billion per annum, the funding of a universal scheme could be crippling and could exceed $11 billion. The ADA says target the funding where it is needed - to those who are not currently able to access dental care.”

Despite these concerns, the ADA has welcomed the report's coverage of dentistry and offers in principle support for its recommendations for:
• an intern year
• a uniform approach to government funding of dental treatment
• a universal approach to promote oral health
• integration of oral health promotion into general health.

Commission recommends new national dental scheme

Chair Of The National Health And Hospitals Reform Commission Dr Christine Bennett today launched the Interim Report of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) - A Healthier Future for all Australians. The following is an extract from the transcript of her speech to the National Press Club detailing the Commission's proposal for oral health and dental care.

"Oral health is important to your general health.

It is also vital to your ability to speak, eat, smile, and even kiss without pain or embarrassment. But many Australians suffer from poor oral health.

Around 650,000 adults are on public dental waiting lists. The average waiting time is 27 months.

Low income households spend more than eight per cent of their household income on dental services.

We need a health system ‘with teeth’.

Well, the Commission has put a lot of thinking and discussion into this hole in our health system. We are proposing a new scheme – ‘Denticare Australia’.

It would give every Australian universal access to preventive and restorative dental care, and dentures, regardless of people’s ability to pay.

‘Denticare Australia’ would be funded by an increase in the Medicare levy.

It would build on access to private dental care while strengthening public dental services. People would choose a dental health plan with a private health insurer paid for by the levy. Or they could opt to rely on public dental services, for which increased funding would be provided."

We estimate that under this approach many people will pay no more than they currently pay for dental care. People on low incomes would pay considerably less and have much better access to dental health services. Families and older Australians would generally benefit. "

Steps to supply dental records for bushfire victim identification

The Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team may seek the help of ADAVB members in identifying bushfire victims. To get dental records to help identify victims, these steps are taken:

1. A person must be reported missing to police before personal and medical information can be gathered. Once they have been reported missing, a Medical Release form signed by the nearest next-of-kin will be issued. The visiting DVI Team member should have the signed release form, if available. Only at that time do you release your records to the Team member, either by giving them your original records or if you are using digital records, by the methods below.

2. If you keep hand-written records DVI wants the original cards, all radiographs (OPGs, PAs, bitewings), models, clinical photographs and all correspondence (to and from specialists). Take copies of your records.

3. If members have digital records, burn them onto a CD – have separate CDs for each individual, as each person will have their own AM identification number. If possible, save all images as TIFF files.

4. As well as giving the CDs, send the records and radiographs through the VIFM Secure Web Service. Send the name of the practice, dentists’ names, practice address, contact phone and email to dvi_dental@vifm.org. You will then receive a Reply e-mail giving you the instructions on how to register for the VIFM Secure Web Service and then how to use the Service. Do NOT send records to the email address above.

5. Once you go through the registration procedure for the VIFM Secure Web Service and send your records, DVI will advise the AM Section of the receipt of your records on your behalf. In all cases, take note of the AM case number which each missing person is assigned.

Dentists seeking further information should contact the Dental DVI team on (03) 9684 4320 and/or email: dvi_dental@vifm.org

Meanwhile the Victorian Government has set up a new phone counseling support service for all Victorians affected by the bushfires, which is being operated by Nurse-on-Call - 1300 606 024. Members are also reminded of the Branch’s Member Assistance Program which has trauma and grief counselors available around the clock - 1800 451 138.

Dental profession and industry rally to aid bushfire victims

With over 5000 people made homeless by the fires, all needing shelter, clothing and personal toiletries, ADAVB is delighted to report that Colgate and Oral B have made large donations of oral health and personal health products. These products have been supplied to welfare agencies for distribution. Colgate has also made a significant cash donation.

Members can play an immediate and direct role in aiding bushfire victims by making blood donations to the Blood Bank and cash donations to recognised charities supporting bushfire victims. Online donations can be made at the following links:

Red Cross Bushfire Appeal

Salvation Army Bushfire Appeal

Members around the State are offering various other forms of direct and indirect assistance to Bushfire relief, and continuing efforts at local level are strongly encouraged.

ADAVB extends its deepest sympathies to all who have been affected by the devastating fires, and its admiration to fire, emergency services and welfare personnel who have been at the front line in this largest ever Australian peacetime disaster.

Bushfire victim identification - dental records protocols

Many of the deceased bushfire victims are expected to be identified using dental means. However the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine has urged that dentists must not surrender dental records to the relatives or friends of victims. They must be collected by a Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team member, normally a member of Victoria Police.

Although the DVI team has had many offers of help from concerned members, at the moment there are sufficient trained forensic odontologists available to deal with the cases as they come in.

An article published in the ADAVB Newsletter last October gives extensive information about dental records and forensic identification, and what to do when contacted by the State Coroner's Office.

Dentists seeking further information should contact the Disaster Victim Identification team at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine - Phone: (03) 9684 4320, e-mail: dvi_dental@vifm.org

ADAVB's Member Assistance Program offers counselling support for members who may be affected by the bushfires. To make an appointment call 1300 366 789. For traumatic incidents or crisis counselling call 1800 451 138 (24 hours a day).

Safety and Quality in Public Dentistry

The latest report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on medical indemnity for the national public sector for 2006–07, states that there were 6840 claims where the type of clinical service was recorded. Of these, procedural dentistry contributed 44 cases and oral surgery contributed 32 cases, an aggregate of 1.1 per cent of all claims. This compares with general surgery which had 1,119 cases (17.8%) and Obstetrics which had 1,085 claims (17.3%).

Vitamin Water warning

Channel 7’s Today Tonight program last night looked at ‘vitamin water’ products - drinks with added vitamins and minerals.

ADAVB’s Immediate Past President Dr Mark Bowman called for warning labels, saying their acidity and sweetness were detrimental to healthy teeth. Nutritionist Catherine Saxelby said many vitamin water products contained up to six teaspoons of sugar.

Revised code of practice for dental hygienists and therapists

The Health Minister has approved a revised code of practice for dental hygienists and therapists. The code of practice C002 (2008): Practice of Dentistry by Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists provides a framework for the practice of dentistry by dental hygienists and therapists.

The code now permits therapists to extend their range of clinical skills and scope of practice by undertaking educational programs that the Dental Practice Board of Victoria has approved for that purpose. At the time of promulgation there are no courses approved by the Board that permits therapists to treat people over the age of 25.

The Board has issued an information sheet on the code which states that the proposed national registration and accreditation scheme for health professions – due to take effect from July next year – may adapt a different model.