Dental services will be stretched - ADAVB

Public dental services will be stretched following today’s Budget, the President of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch, Dr Gordon Burt, said.

He said that the $3.3 million increase (1.76%) in the dental health services budget did not match CPI running at 2.5% (March quarter 2012-March quarter 2013 ABS), nor did it recognize that the State’s population continued to grow at 1.7% annually (ABS September quarter 2012).

Dr Burt said that Dental Health Services Victoria’s resources would come under further pressure, needing to meet the set waiting times for restorative dental care (23 months) and dentures (22 months). These targets are unchanged from 2012-13.

“Perhaps the modest increase anticipates the addition of Federal funding for the Adult Public Dental Services program from 2014. In the meantime the Victorian Budget will not reduce waiting times, leaving many Victorians still waiting for dental care,” he said.

“The pre-Budget announcement that the Western Dental Clinic Footscray would be replaced was a most welcome improvement to public dental infrastructure.”