Massive holes in dental funding
One in four Australians are foregoing dental treatment because they can’t afford it, a new national survey for oral health shows. This means that a large number of people who are suffering from dental problems and are going untreated, are facing long term or permanent damage. Whilst the survey also showed that the dental health of younger generations has improved significantly due to the fluoridation of water, the report also reveals that public dental care is still chronically underfunded and there is only enough money to provide every person with basic preventative care once every five years. The survey calls for an immediate injection of funds to solve the current crisis facing dental care in Australia. Meanwhile, The Labor party is proposing a national Dental Health scheme, which they claim will close the gap between the rich and poor.