NHHRC recommends Denticare

The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) report, entitled A Healthier Future for All Australians, recommends a public dental system at a cost of $3.6 billion a year and a national one-year dental intern scheme.

The NHHRC made the following recommendations on oral health matters:

• "that all Australians should have universal access to preventive and restorative dental care, and dentures, regardless of people’s ability to pay. This should occur through the establishment of the ‘Denticare Australia’ scheme. Under the ‘Denticare Australia’ scheme, people will be able to select between private or public dental health plans. ‘Denticare Australia’ would meet the costs in both cases. The additional costs of Denticare could be funded by an increase in the Medicare Levy of 0.75 per cent of taxable income.
• the introduction of a one-year internship scheme prior to full registration, so that clinical preparation of oral health practitioners (dentists, dental therapists and dental hygienists) operates under a similar model to medical practitioners. We recognise that this will require an investment in training and capital infrastructure.
• the national expansion of the pre-school and school dental programs.
• that additional funding be made available for improved oral health promotion, with interventions to be decided based upon relative cost-effectiveness assessment."

The ADA Inc. has issued a media release which welcomes inclusion of dental issues in the report but expresses concern at the approach taken.