August 2003

Plan tackles dental waiting lists

Victorians with serious dental problems in most cases will be treated within six months under a new $750,000 action plan to tackle public dental waiting lists.

Opening the new $52 million Royal Dental Hospital in Carlton, Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said the new action plan would streamline the system to ensure priority patients were seen as quickly as possible.

‘For the first time, people requiring public dental care will be prioritised according to their individual needs.

‘In another first, co-ordination of lists will enable patients in need to be offered treatment at another location with a shorter waiting time.

‘We will also target funding to clinics with the greatest demand.

‘In addition, our recruitment initiatives, which have seen an extra 11 dentists working in public clinics over the past six months, will further help in providing timely treatment.’

Currently, people needing urgent treatment are seen within 24 hours.

That standard will be maintained under the initiative.

Ms Pike said the new action plan would build on the Government’s significant achievement and investment in dental public health.

This includes:

• An extra $21 million allocated over the next four years to train more dental therapists, open more dental chairs in community clinics, promote oral health in preschools and increase funding to the Victorian Denture Scheme;

• Improving recruitment and retention of dental professionals, particularly in rural areas;

• More than 20,000 extra concession cardholders treated a year—a 13 per cent increase since 1999;

• Over 600,000 visits now made to public dental clinics each year, including school dental services for children;

• Regular preventive services extended to disadvantaged adolescents under the new Youth Dental Program. Almost 13,000 adolescents now receive care each year;

• Co-payments for dentures reduced and the cost of a full set of dentures halved.

Ms Pike said the new hospital was a concrete example of the Government’s commitment to public dental services in Victoria.

It will form strong links to the network of 58 clinics in community health centres and rural hospitals across the State.

‘The new state-of-the-art hospital will provide quality research and health promotion, emergency treatment, specialist care, clinical treatment and training for tomorrow’s dentists, therapists, hygienists, prosthetists and assistants in a team environment.

‘For the first time, all members of the dental team—dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, prosthetists, dental technicians and assistants—will be trained in the same place.

‘This will help develop a team approach to maximise each member’s skills and experience and provide more cost-effective quality care.’

The hospital has 139 dental chairs, four operating theatres in day surgery unit and prosthetic laboratories.