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. "