media releases

“The Turnbull Government’s announcement of a supposed increase in public dental funding is an outrageous attack on the dental health of millions of Australians, especially children,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, vice president, Doctors Reform Society. The claim that this is a boost to dental funding hides the fact that it is only a boost after the cuts of the Abbott/Turnbull Governments. The claim that it increases the number of those eligible hides the fact that the increased number of eligible children will now have to wait years on public waiting lists because the public system simply doesn’t have enough dentists or other resourcesto service the extra millions of patients.

The Government has axed the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CBDS) which was reported on in November 2015 by the Government’s own Chief Medical Officer as,

‘noted the success of the CDBS in targeting the oral health of young Australians at an age where preventative measures can be most effective.’

The CBDS was working, with over 90% of the patients bulk billed, all from families facing economic hardship. It targeted the most vulnerable. The report also said that

‘The Panel agreed that the CDBS has been poorly promoted’

With only a 25% take up, the cost has been much smaller than expected and the Government, instead of taking the advice of the Panel and promoting the plan, has chosen an option which sends battlers back to long waiting lists and the rich getting dental care when they need it courtesy of publicly subsidised private health insurance cover.

Dr Tim Woodruff                                            Dr Con Costa

Vice President                                                 Vice President

Ph 0401042619                                               Ph 0418400309