AMERICAN DENTAL PLAN

A seven-year plan will aim to improve dental health in South Australia.

The SA Government hopes to cut waiting times from 18 months to one year.

Most South Australians have access to fluoridated water but the Government says it will look at extending it to Roxby Downs and Coober Pedy.

SA Health Minister John Hill says another aim is early identification of children with dental problems.

“We don’t obviously see them until they go to school through the School Dental Service so we want other health professionals who would be checking children to also check their teeth and then refer them to the School Dental Service so they can get early access,” he said.

The plan also recommends giving dentists access to portable equipment so they can provide simple treatment to people in nursing homes.

Opposition health spokesman Duncan McFetridge says the statistics on waiting times are only for fillings and the wait for other dental work can be much longer.

“According to the Government’s own figures last year, it was 18 months to wait for a filling, it was nearly three years if you wanted dentures and it was over two years if you want to see a dental specialist, so the waiting times are far too long,” he said.

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A dental blitz in the Northern Territory has halved the waiting time for public dental care.

In the past six months, more than 1200 people have had their teeth checked.

Another 1400 are awaiting treatment.

Health Minister Kon Vatskalis says the waiting time has been reduced from four years to two.

“For the urgent cases they’ll be treated immediately,” he said.

“Other people they have to wait for specialists to come and they’re put on the waiting list so they can be looked after by specialists and that is manageable.

“It would be ideal not to have any waiting list but the reality is that we can’t because people have to go on a waiting list to wait for special treatment for a specialist to arrive to be treated.”

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