Two million Australians each year avoid or delay going to the dentist

Pain to the hip pocket nerve is preventing a growing number of people in NSW from going to visit the dentist for much needed care.

Pain to the hip pocket nerve is preventing a growing number of people in NSW from going to visit the dentist for much needed care.

A new report released last night by Grattan Institute, revealed a shocking two million Australians each year avoid or delay going to the dentist despite needing dental care because it is too expensive.

Researchers argued visiting the dentist should be treated the same as seeing a GP, saying there is no “compelling, medical, economic, or legal reason to treat the mouth so differently from the rest of the body” in the report.

Latest figures show that 17.1 per cent of people in NSW are missing out on essential dental care.

The study found that more than a quarter of Australian adults are suffering from tooth decay and 23 per cent have periodontal disease.

More than a third of people reported they had either suffered toothache in the past year or felt uncomfortable about their appearance because of their teeth.

Many people said they avoided eating certain foods due to their dental health.

Low income adults have fewer teeth on average that people with higher incomes.

On average people with incomes below $30,000 are missing 8.6 teeth while people with household incomes above $140,000 are missing 3.2 teeth.

Stephen Duckett, director of the health program at Grattan Institute, said the cost of going to the dentist was the main reason for the increase in poor dental hygiene in NSW.

Mr Duckett said patients on public dental care waiting lists in NSW often had to wait more than a year for treatment.

He said the impact of poor dental hygiene was having an effect on people’s self-esteem and their overall health.

The study found that more than a quarter of Australian adults are suffering from tooth decay.

Research from Grattan Institute found most spending on dental cares comes directly out of the patient’s pockets, and as a result people can’t afford the care unless they go on sometimes multi-year waiting lists for public care.

The researchers believe the existing public dental schemes are “inadequate, uncoordinated and over inequitable across states”.

The report found a significant number of Australian have dental conditions that could have been prevented or reduced in severity through care and early intervention.

The National Advisory Council on Dental Health estimated there are more than 750,000 doctor consultations each year for dental problems at a cost to the taxpayer of $30 million.

The report said bad oral health has painful and costly consequences with evidence suggesting it can contribute to other health problems including diabetes and heart disease.

“Most states have waiting lists of well over a year for public dental care — and if people need to wait a year for care, their conditions are only going to get worse,” researchers wrote.

Mr Duckett said the government and opposition should move towards a universal primary dental care scheme, funded by the Commonwealth Government and create a ten year strategy on how to get there.

He said the first step should be getting access for pensioners and healthcare card holders.