Public dental waiting times to increase

Public dental waiting times will increase in Victoria. This is because the State Budget allocation for dental services has remained flat at about $206 million. At the same time Victoria’s population continues to grow at 1.7% per year and costs of service delivery (mainly wages and material costs) continue to rise..

The stagnant funding comes on top of the Federal Child Dental Benefits Schedule ending and being replaced by a scheme for adults and children with about 33% less funding per annum. The new Child and Adult Public Dental Scheme will be operated by State and Territory public dental services.

The Budget papers say that Victoria’s forecast waiting times for general dental care remain unchanged at 23 months, however the ADAVB expects this to increase rapidly from 1 July due to the expansion of the eligible population.

Funds for dental health services for next financial year have been cut from $207.8 million to $206.2 million.

ADAVB President Dr Stephen Liew said the Government should lead on oral health, not have flat funding. He said the cuts will be further compounded by the Federal Government’s decision to introduce a new public dental scheme.

“The population is growing and so are the needs of Victorians, especially those in low socio-economic situations," he said. "In 2013-14, more than 15,000 Victorians were hospitalised due to dental conditions. These people might have avoided hospitalisation if they were able to see a dentist for early treatment. This situation needs to be fixed – sadly this year’s Budget has not provided the remedy."

“The State Government claims that the Budget ‘is all about delivering on things that Victorians need the most: good hospitals and schools, reliable roads and public transport, and secure jobs’   – obviously the oral health of Victorians is not a high priority."