Dental health not a luxury

WAIT times for public dentists in the Northern Territory provide the type of example which shows why slashing our funding in the area of health should be the last option

WAIT times for public dentists in the Northern Territory provide the type of example which shows why slashing our funding in the area of health should be the last option.

Instead the opposite has occurred and it is those who can least afford to pay who suffer the most.

The blowout in wait times seems linked directly to funding. A previous National Partnership Agreement between state and federal governments provided $155 million per year for public dental services. From January this year to June 2019 a new agreement will come into effect, which is about $97 million per year.

Clearly cutting $58 million is going to have an even bigger impact than we’ve already seen.

Can any of us believe in 2017 we must wait four years to get a cavity fixed through the public health system?

The dentists say there are enough skilled professionals to do the job in the private sector in the NT but a lack of money – and, it seems, political will – to fund them to do it.

Not surprisingly, the Australian Dental Association NT is urging the Northern Territory Government to outsource more taxpayer-funded cases to private dental clinics to ease pressure on the public system.

Dental health is not a luxury, but it is seen as a luxury item.

For those who can’t afford private health insurance then being able to afford basic dental care can be an expensive proposition – sorry – is an expensive proposition.

No doubt the Federal and Territory Governments are acutely aware of the costs to engage the private sector to close this particular gap.

In the meantime the suffering will go on and it will be those who cannot afford private health insurance who will pay the price.