7th April 2018
"Today is World Health Day. It is disappointing that in our modern society, oral health remains neglected in Australia and continues to be largely excluded from universal health care coverage," says Tan Nguyen, President of the ADOHTA.
Over 50% of the Australian population do not regularly access dental care. Three out of 10 adults have untreated tooth decay and four out of 10 young children still experience tooth decay.
"Oral disease has a significant impact on our general health and well-being. As a researcher from the Deakin Health Economics, we know there are better ways to increase affordable access to dental care by utilising oral health practitioners".
Oral health practitioners (dental therapists, dental hygienists and oral health therapists) are dental practitioners, who work alongside dentists (like nurses and doctors) to provide high quality and cost effective dental care for the community.
"Dental therapists, hygienists and oral health therapists are trained in the same universities as dentists," says Professor Julie Satur from the Melbourne Dental School.
"Our profession has been practising in Australia for more than 50 years with a long history of safe practice. Many people will have had dental treatment from them but not realised they were not dentists. They are qualified, registered, and regulated by the Dental Board – just like dentists".
The Dental Board is looking at the regulations around dental practice and wants to remove current rules that still reflect the 1960s.
The ADOHTA supports the Dental Board’s direction to enable all dental practitioners to work the way they were trained in more places and with more people. This can help reduce costs of dental care and put dental services into communities where dental care is too expensive, limited or not available.
"All health practitioners work as part of a team to provide the best possible care for patients – dental care is no different," says Nicole Stormon, Public Officer of the ADOHTA and PhD Candidate, University of Queensland.
"Dental therapists, hygienists and oral health therapists have always worked in a team with dentists. By cutting red tape under the proposed Scope of Practice standard, more people can access prevention and lower cost treatments".
Oral health practitioners do dental check-ups, x-rays, teeth cleaning, fillings, take out teeth, treat gum disease, prevent disease and promote oral health.
Modern dentistry is just around the corner. ---
