A first of a kind dental pilot project which has seen improvements in participants’ oral health could be the blueprint for other pilots—and a government seniors’ dental scheme.
The Maroubra Seniors Dental Benefits Schedule Pilot tackled the oral health of 70 Eastern Sydney seniors with a chronic disease and socio-economic disadvantage, from November 2024 to March 2025. Under the pilot, dentists provided dental treatment, hand in hand with bespoke advice and information designed to improve oral health and reduce the risk from dental disease on the rest of the body.
Academics from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health then evaluated the effects of the dental treatment of the participants’ dental and overall health. They found improvements in oral health outcomes, particularly in the management of tooth decay, gum disease, and provision of prosthodontic care.
“Participants also commented on the dental health education they received to help them clean and floss more and see their dentist more often. These improved oral habits will have a beneficial knock-on effect on their chronic health condition,” ADA president Dr Chris Sanzaro said.
“The results of the four-month pilot show that this scheme is a valuable blueprint for similar pilots to be rolled out around the country and inform the construction of a Seniors Dental Benefits Schedule (SDBS) down the track.”
The ADA has been urging successive Federal Governments to fund a seniors’ dental scheme, calculated by the Parliamentary Budget Office to cost $1.143bn a year in 2025-26 for 2.8m eligible seniors, rising to $1.263 billion in 2026-27.
“To provide dental services to every Australian would cost between $5bn and $12bn a year and no government has ever been able to take this on,” Dr Sanzaro said.
“So the SDBS is a necessary and affordable option and a rollout of similar pilots to this one is a positive step in the right direction to achieving this.”
