Better oral health for all: what will it take?
As recently previewed, an important policy forum, Why has dental health been getting the brush off?, in Canberra this week aimed to focus public and political attention on the need to address the glaring inequities in dental health care.
Thanks to Lexia Smallwood and Gordon Gregory of the National Rural Health Alliance for providing this report, which includes some advice for what oral health campaigners can learn from the Every Australian Counts campaign, including:
• the importance of a united front
• engaging politicians as NDIS champions
• training and supporting campaign volunteers
• the power of social media.
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Oral health needs a population-based approach – and “effective policy entrepreneurs”
Lexia Smallwood and Gordon Gregory write:
‘A healthy mouth for every Australian’ was the catch-cry at a meeting of health advocates in Canberra this week. People from around 80 health consumer and provider organisations came together to agree on how best to secure better dental health care in Australia.
Those at the meeting were appalled at the stories told about children and young adults with numerous decayed and missing teeth; encouraged by the commitments made in this year’s Budget; and determined to continue to work together for a much-improved national oral health system.
The Communiqué from the event, together with a list of the organisations represented, is on the NRHA website, where you can also stream the presentations. The forum, titled Why has dental health been getting the brush off?, was organised by ACOSS, the AHHA, AHCRA, the PHAA and the NRHA.
Paul Dugdale, from the ANU, facilitated the event with his usual panache and good leadership. With the Government in what he called ‘delivery mode’, now is a good opportunity to get on the policy landscape – notwithstanding fiscal fears.
Tessa Boyd-Caine, from ACOSS, summarised the recommendations of the National Advisory Council on Dental Health (of which she was a member) and knitted them into the results of the annual Community Sector Survey by ACOSS, released this week. That survey showed that at least one in five community services see dental health as the top policy priority for people experiencing poverty and disadvantage.
Tessa pointed out that as part of its advocacy for greater spending on oral health, ACOSS had identified $8billion of federal budgetary savings. She was the first of many at the Forum to emphasise the need for a population-based approach to oral health care, and to advocate for a universal access scheme.
Tony McBride, Chair of AHCRA and also a member of the National Advisory Council on Dental Health, lamented the grossly inequitable access to oral health care, with patients paying 61 cents in the dollar, compared with about 12 cents for health services overall. He argued that dental care is at the margins, with little integration, no population health planning and the mouth still curiously separated from the body. This is despite the fact that there is a strong and well-known link between oral health and other chronic disease.
Tony welcomed this year’s Budget announcements, noting however that if they were to be ‘swapped’ with the Medicare Chronic Disease Dental Scheme, the net effect would be poorer. He nominated Medicare Locals as agencies that might do much in relation to oral health care.
Andrew McAuliffe, newly-arrived on staff at the AHHA, reminded those present that there are now more dental schools, more enrolments and more overseas trained dentists – yet still a major workforce distribution problem. He thinks the new Dental Foundation year a good initiative, as well as increases in the numbers of dental hygienists and therapists. Training efforts, he said, need to be targeted better at the community’s needs.
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Categories: dental care, disabilities, Health inequalities, Medicare Locals, social determinants of health
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Better oral health for all: what will it take? -> A Toothbrush!
by Duggy the DC3 on Aug 17, 2012 at 4:44 pm
If you would like to view the presentations again go to: http://nrha.ruralhealth.org.au/seminars/?IntContId=15065&IntCatId=18 (you may have to download some Silverlight software). The final communique is on the same page, as is the program and the list of 60+ organisations represented on the day. Let’s all work towards a ‘A healthy mouth for every Australian’.
by Elllsee on Aug 17, 2012 at 5:36 pm
What is it about oral health that health planners and politicians dont get? If you have bad teeth, you may well have a bad diet. If you have a bad diet, you may have poor health. It is not that hard. A National Denticare Scheme – now!
by Jenny Haines on Aug 23, 2012 at 9:09 am