Question:
(AU) Public Dental Service ?
Answer:
The $100 million public dental service was a drop in the ocean
compared to the $2.3 billion being spent on health insurance rebates
and should be reinstated, Australian Democrats Leader Meg Lees said
today.
Senator Lees said Australians on low incomes and those from rural and
regional areas were suffering poor dental health because the federal
government would not take responsibility for dental health care.
She said it was outrageous the government could spend billions on a
non-means tested rebate for private health insurance while denying
basic services to the most disadvantaged.
"The government has money available when it comes to providing
incentives for middle and high-income earners to join a private health
fund," Senator Lees said.
"The federal government abolished the Commonwealth Dental Health
Program four years ago, claiming that dental health is a state
government responsibility."
The abolition of the program had resulted in decreased oral health
among disadvantaged people and increased waiting lists.
Low income Australians can wait up to five years for basic dental
care.
I am an Aussie dentist and I think that the current system of provision of
dental services to the public is in need of some new insight. I have seen
numerous patients drive into my practice in new BMW's or even patients with
very successful jobs that produce health care cards and demand a discount. I
also find that I have a large portion of patients who are in desperate need
for government assistance and have genuine problems in relation to teeth and
finance and these people are forced to pay private fees as they can't wait
for public treatment or that the treatment offered to them is of a lower
standard than could be received in the private sector. My wife works in the
public system and I have had experience working in these clinics before and
I can assure you that I would never allow anyone I care for to receive
treatment at these centres.
My wife complains that when people finally get off the waiting list, the
problems that they have are numerous and very serious. If they had been seen
when problems first arose they may have been able to have a few fillings, a
clean and maybe some work towards preventing further problems. However by
the time they finally get seen my wife claims she has 30 minutes to examine,
treat the patient as best as she can as they will not be seen again for 3
weeks minimum. She also claims, and this I have seen first hand, that by the
time they see her they no longer need 4 or 5 fillings, now they require 25
root canals and crowns which the government won't cover so the patient has
some extractions and now goes on the waiting list for a set of dentures.
Cost effective??? I think not.
The salaries that public dentists receive are very low compared with
private ones, therefore I find unless you have a very charitable personality
and don't mind low salary for very difficult work, then you are going to get
dentists that are disheartened with their profession and don't care too much
about quality treatment or patients returning. Alternatively dentists who
fail to get jobs in the private sector for some reason or another will end
up in these clinics. I have had experience with our practice employing
dentists from the public sector and most of the time it was a mistake.
I don't want to over generalse....like I have just been doing, but I
strongly feel that in order for the government to provide an acceptable and
adequate public health system THEY SHOULD EMPLOY THE SKILLS OF DENTISTS AND
NOT ACCOUNTANTS OR PURELY PUBLIC DENTISTS TO RUN OR DEVISE STRATEGIES FOR
A BETTER PUBLIC DENTAL SYSTEM.
