Oral health varies by wealth and location

People with lower household income and people living in regional and remote areas generally have poorer oral health than other Australians, according to updated information published on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website.

The latest update to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s dental and oral health web pages confirms that both dental health and dental visiting patterns are affected by remoteness and socioeconomic status.

The proportion of people with untreated decay was greater in remote/very remote areas (38%) than in major cities (24%).

Of course the key issue for people on low incomes who are 'delaying dental visits' is that they are waiting for access to publicly funded dental treatment.  The Commonwealth Government removal of the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme in late 2012, and failure to provide more than a modest funding stream for waiting list reduction since then, has left a gap in dental funding.  We now await the outcome of the Commission of Audit review and the Federal Budget in May to see whether the adult dental scheme (which had been proposed to commence in July 2014) will proceed.