Four year waitlist for thousands of Tasmanian, damning Auditor General report shows

Tasmanians needing their regular dental check up face lengthy wait times as a new report reveals those facing the worst hurdles. An inside look into the system.

Smiles Inclusive generic dentist dental teeth. Photo: iStock

Around 15,000 Tasmanians sat on a general dental care waitlist in 2023 with a median wait time approaching four years, a report into the state of Tasmania’s oral health care service says.

A report by the Tasmanian Auditor-General was tabled to parliament on Tuesday showing the public Oral Health Services Tasmania (OHST) is ‘struggling’ to meet demand.

Auditor-General Martin Thompson said the report concerned the access to efficient and effective oral health services in Tasmania.

Dentist with patient. Thinkstock

The report found that the current funding model for oral health services is weighted towards treatment rather than prevention, with non-urgent general care waitlists remaining at around 15,000 for most of 2023.

“The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on operations of Oral Health Services Tasmania, and after-effects continue to impact the capacity of the service,” Mr Thompson said.

Other key findings in the report include challenges recruiting oral health therapists in the North and North West regions as well as a decrease in the number of children seen by OHST since 2013-14.

The OHST received praise for its successful management of oral health service barriers such as co-payments and transportation, but “vulnerable groups” like aged care residents and inmates in the Risdon Prison Complex still faced hurdles in dental access.

The report made six recommendations to improve Tasmanian’s access to oral health services, with a focus on early intervention and preventive programs and managing waitlists.