The waiting list for public dental treatment has grown to almost 90,000 adults, prompting dentists to plead for more funding.
President of the Australian Dental Association NSW Kathleen Matthews said the demand for public dentistry was there “but the funds aren’t”.
“It’s a health service that, for the majority of Australians, doesn’t receive any governmental funding,” she said.
The number of adults waiting for public treatment in NSW has risen to a high of 88,433, data from NSW Health shows. The previous high was 87,542 in late 2016.
North Sydney dentist Jalal Khan said the rise was not surprising, given that funding can provide treatment to only one in five of the 36 per cent of those eligible for public dental treatment.
“They get put on the general dental waiting list, and sometimes might be waiting two years, three years for their turn to get called up,” he said.
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Article By Rachel Clun
Article From www.smh.com.au
Image from Jonathan Borba