Australia - Personal wealth determines health of teeth
Personal wealth determines health of teeth
By Tory Shepherd
August 07, 2008 12:01am
POORER Australians have fewer teeth, research shows.
They also have more decay, and are more likely to have no teeth at all.
The National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004-06 shows people from poorer suburbs are twice as likely to have fewer than 21 teeth - which is considered the minimum necessary - than those from richer suburbs.
People on concession cards are almost four times as likely to not have enough teeth.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report has prompted calls for more funding, as dentists blame long public waiting lists for the gap.
South Australian Dental Service chief executive Martin Dooland said people forced to rely on the public system had to wait too long to be seen.
"The result is that concession card holders rely on episodic relief of pain instead of having checks," Dr Dooland said.
He said a national workforce shortage was contributing to the problem, but added SA was ahead of the rest of the nation in increasing training capacity and reducing waiting lists.
Rose Park dentist and Australian Dental Association (SA) president Peter Alldritt has called on governments to fund a solution.
"This is a call for more funding to shorten waiting lists for public dental care and employ more dentists, who are the only practitioners trained to provide the complex treatment that adults need," Dr Alldritt said.
Acting Health Minister Jay Weatherill said the state had invested an extra $56 million for public dental services.
(The) extra money has had a major impact, reducing waiting lists from 49 months for treatment in 2002 to 19 months now. And we aim to reduce that to 11 months next year," he said.
75% fluoridated: NYSCOF
By Tory Shepherd
August 07, 2008 12:01am
POORER Australians have fewer teeth, research shows.
They also have more decay, and are more likely to have no teeth at all.
The National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004-06 shows people from poorer suburbs are twice as likely to have fewer than 21 teeth - which is considered the minimum necessary - than those from richer suburbs.
People on concession cards are almost four times as likely to not have enough teeth.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report has prompted calls for more funding, as dentists blame long public waiting lists for the gap.
South Australian Dental Service chief executive Martin Dooland said people forced to rely on the public system had to wait too long to be seen.
"The result is that concession card holders rely on episodic relief of pain instead of having checks," Dr Dooland said.
He said a national workforce shortage was contributing to the problem, but added SA was ahead of the rest of the nation in increasing training capacity and reducing waiting lists.
Rose Park dentist and Australian Dental Association (SA) president Peter Alldritt has called on governments to fund a solution.
"This is a call for more funding to shorten waiting lists for public dental care and employ more dentists, who are the only practitioners trained to provide the complex treatment that adults need," Dr Alldritt said.
Acting Health Minister Jay Weatherill said the state had invested an extra $56 million for public dental services.
(The) extra money has had a major impact, reducing waiting lists from 49 months for treatment in 2002 to 19 months now. And we aim to reduce that to 11 months next year," he said.
75% fluoridated: NYSCOF
posted by Bill at
10:08 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home