The NobleDentist Blog

I recently read an alarming article written by Dr Peter Lavelle of the ABC titled “Dental Health in Decay”.

It looked at the dismal state of oral health in Australia. And made several startling observations.

• Three of the five health conditions most suffered by Australians are oral health related.
• Dental care is the least subsidised area of health care. There is no Medicare rebate applying to dental services and no widespread public dental hospital system.
• Dental services are expensive. A standard consultation costs around $100 compared to about $25 to $40 for a standard GP consultation. More complicated procedures can be very expensive.
• There are half a million people unable to access a dentist as they can not afford to visit a private dentist. So they are forced to compete for public services. The waiting list is between 8 months and 5 years.
• There is specualtion that Australia faces a shortfall of about 1500 dentists due to increases in population, more dentists preferring part-time work, and a lack of university training places.
• Australians in rural areas and indigenous communities have higher rates of dental disease than people within the city. The shortage of trained staff in rural Australia is a problem with 30 per cent of public jobs remaining vacant.

You can read the entire article by Dr Peter Lavelle of the ABC by clicking on Dental Health in Decay.

To learn how to save hundreds and even thousands of dollars at the dentist, click on NobleDentist.

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To learn how to save hundreds and even thousands of dollars at the dentist, click on NobleDentist.