Lack of Government funding creates dental access problems

Perhaps unsurprisingly, adults from lower income households, or those who held a concession card, reported poorer oral health status, more toothache, less dental visiting and greater difficulty in paying a $150 dental bill than those from higher income households and non-cardholders, according to a new survey report.

The Adult Oral Health and Dental Visiting in Australia: National Dental Telephone Interview Survey reports oral health and dental visiting patterns of Australian adults in 2010, and trends from 1994 to 2010.

While most adults reported good oral health in 2010 and 60% had visited a dentist in the previous 12 months, almost 38% reported a financial barrier or hardship associated with dental visits.  It remains to be seen how much the new federal Government dental funding arrangements might improve this situation.