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The ongoing battle for provider numbers The DHAA are picking up the pace on their campaign for dental hygienists, oral health therapists and dental therapists to have access to Medicare provider numbers THE DHAA HAS sought approval from the Federal Health Minister and the Secretary of the Department of Health for dental hygienists, oral health therapists and dental therapists to have access to Medicare provider numbers. We have published a brochure and stories to support our advocacy on this with the campaign title “Bad Mouth - the neglected reality”. The Bad Mouth campaign The paper highlights that oral diseases are associated with many chronic medical conditions, poor nutritional
status and can affect quality of life through pain, discomfort, speech impairment and social withdrawal. Launching the campaign publicly in August, DHAA President Cheryl Dey said: “ For generations, our country has neglected oral health and dental services despite evidence indicating they are closely linked to general health and wellbeing. Historically, dentistry adopts a treatment-dominated, invasive and high-tech approach to care that is often expensive.”
The stats don't lie Statistics show that one in five Australians delays or chooses not to see a dental practitioner due to the cost. Australian consumers pay 58% of their dental costs out of pocket compared to just 12% for pharmaceutical - and only 11% for medical expenses. This disparity in government funding has put regular oral health care out of reach of many. Approximately 60% of older people over 85 years do not have access to dental care. Residents in aged care facilities are at a higher risk for aspiration pneumonia because of bad oral health. In some cases
