The Australian Dental Association (ADA) is concerned the government’s refusal to fund basic dental care for older Australians is costing them dearly in good oral health, while also wasting millions of taxpayer dollars from unnecessary hospitalisations of seniors.
The ADA has found a staggering 16,000 seniors were admitted to hospital for urgent treatment of painful dental issues in 2022-23—and that figure is expected to rise to 22,630 by 2027-28, representing a 42 per cent increase from an already unacceptable level.
“It’s a health trend that worsens by the year, and while governments of all persuasions deny that the mouth is connected to the rest of the body and oral health doesn’t need additional funding, this shocking treatment of our most vulnerable at the hand of politicians is only going to worsen,” ADA president Dr Chris Sanzaro said.
“To resolve this issue, the ADA is urging the next Australian Government to introduce a Seniors Dental Benefits Schedule to support older Australians to maintain their oral health.”
Key findings from ADA research and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data:
- Potentially preventable dental hospitalisations for Australians aged 65+ increased from 10,495 in 2016-17 to 15,959 in 2022-23.
- Based on the 7.24 per cent a year increase across that period, hospitalisations are projected by the ADA to reach 22,630 by 2027-28, a 42 per cent increase (from 2022-23 to 2027-28).
“Potentially preventable hospitalisations like these represent not only a burden on our healthcare system but also reduced quality of life for our ageing population,” Dr Sanzaro said.
“We should prioritise access to regular dental check-ups and preventative treatments to reverse this trend.”
