Dental care ‘out of reach’ for West Australians as cost-of-living pressures bite

The average cost of a standard dental check-up for West Australians has hit $233, eclipsing the national average and adding weight to mounting evidence that oral health care is out of reach for most Australians.

The new National Dental Listings report, published by online healthcare directory Cleanbill, found the average cost of a check-up and clean was $233.07 in WA, well above the national average of $229.44.

New data shows the cost of dental care in WA exceeds the national average.Credit: Quentin Jones

And those appointments were considerably more expensive for new patients in WA, who are shelling out $313.30.

The survey, covering more than 6,200 clinics nationally, found the average cost of a dental visit for a new patient visit was $297.15.

Perth’s affluent western suburbs remain the most expensive place to see a dentist in the state, with the cost of a check-up in the federal electorate of Curtin exceeding $251.

The city’s south-east wasn’t far behind, averaging $249.60 per check-up, while those in the North West, the Goldfields-Esperance region and Perth’s northern suburbs were paying over $240 for the same service.

The cost of an appointment in the city’s innermost suburbs ranged between $232 and $240 and dropped to $223.44 in Perth’s southeastern suburban corridor.

The service was more affordable in the South West, where a routine check will set you back $218.

But Perth’s inner north electorate of Cowan and inner east seat of Swan have the cheapest dental care, with the average clean costing just $210.

New South Wales had the most affordable dental services in the nation, with the median cost of a routine check-up hovering around $224, followed by Queensland and Victoria at $225.93 and $228.34 respectively.

A check-up was most costly in the Australian Capital Territory, exceeding $274.

The report corroborated data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which showed one-in-seven Australians were avoiding or delaying a dental appointment amid the cost of living crisis.

It also comes ahead of the final report from the Senate inquiry, chaired by Senator Jordan Steele-John, into access to dental services in Australia.

Last month, Australian Dental Association president Dr Stephen Liew told the inquiry a complete overhaul of the dental system was needed to prevent vulnerable people suffering due to a lack of access and affordability.

The peak national body for dentists has called on the government to establish funding schemes for disadvantaged groups, including Aboriginal populations, people with a disability and low-income households.

Cleanbill founder James Gillespie said the report, the first of its kind to be undertaken, showed routine oral care had become a luxury.

“This data release shows that dental care is increasingly out of reach for the almost half of Australians who don’t have access to private extras cover,” he said.

“This is particularly true for Australians living outside of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, where the average cost of a new patient visit at a dentist exceeds $250 in every single electorate.”

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