[ACEsthetics] New Post/Thread Notification: Dentistry on the Web

Hello,

drmikemaroon has just posted in the Dentistry on the Web forum of ACE Dental World under the title of Dentists welcome billion-dollar reform package.

This thread is located at http://www.acedentalforum.com/forum/threads/1173-Dentists-welcome-billion-dollar-reform-package

Here is the message that has just been posted:
***************
*Dentists have welcomed the Federal Government's $4 billion dental care package announced today by Health Minister Tanya Plibersek.*


Ms Plibersek says the funding program, will mean millions of children and low-income patients can go to the dentist for free.


She says it will cut waiting lists, free up "massive resources" in the dental sector, and improve the dental health of people across the country.


The Opposition says the scheme is just another unfunded promise, but dental experts say it is a "fantastic initiative".


Professor Marc Tennant founded the centre for rural and remote oral health at the University of Western Australia.


He says the Government's package is well targeted - especially the more than $200 million in spending for dental infrastructure in outer metropolitan, rural and regional areas.


"I think it's a fantastic initiative," he said.


Video here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-29/government-promises-dental-care-for-millions/4231554


"Dental disease in Australia is fundamentally a disease nowadays of people in poverty, so to have a program that is targeted at people with lower incomes in targeting at the right direction.


"Also because it's targeted at basic dental care, I think we'll get a decent bang for our buck out of that sort of approach."


Professor Tennant says the program will increase demand for dental care, and of course, dentists.


"At the moment only about... a quarter of low income Australians make use of dental services," he said.


"So this will bring more people into the system and when you bring more people into the system you need more people to do that work.


"This will... throw out our workforce models as they currently are and it will require an increase in [people in] our workforce who can actually help people, and address the problems that people have."


Video 2 here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-29/plibersek-details-4b-dental-reform-package/4230396


'Great start'
Associate Professor James Lucas, a paediatric dental specialist in Melbourne, has also welcomed the Government's announcement.


"I think its a great initiative. It's a great start to improving the oral health of children and hopefully if the government use their money wisely it will be of great benefit to kids and their dental health," he said.


The Federal Government says the funding will help more than 3 million children aged from two to 17.


But Associate Professor Lucas says the package could target even younger children.


"Probably ideally it'll be for children from birth through to 17 because children do get teeth at six months of age," he said.


Associate Professor Lucas says there will probably never be enough government money to meet the demand for dental services.


But he says a $1,000 cap on services over two years in the new program is reasonable.


"It's a reasonable figure except when you have a child that has a significant amount of dental decay probably the cost that's required to repair all that would be greater than $1,000," he said.


"But it is a step and does give people who may not be able to afford some level of dental care the opportunity to access it."


Video 3 here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-29/new-dental-scheme-a-boon-for-bush-dentists/4231148


Out with the old
The Government's program also includes the closure of the Medicare Chronic Disease Dental Scheme.


That scheme was championed by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott during his time as health minister in the Howard government.


Both Professor Tennant and Associate Professor Lucas agree the Government was right to scrap the scheme.


"The Chronic Disease's Dental Health program was [well] thought up, but it unfortunately hasn't been managed particularly well and the consequences of that is there has been possibly some level of over-servicing," he said.


"There's also been significant dental disadvantages in it.


"For example, some of my patients such as young autistic children, under the Chronic Disease Scheme they can't get treatment done under a general anaesthetic - the Government won't fund it.


"So hopefully in the new scheme all treatments to children will be funded whether it's being done in a dental chair or in the needs of a hospital.


"So yes I think this is a far better scheme and a far better structure than the Chronic Disease Scheme."




Original article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-29/dentists-welcome-billion-dollar-reform-package/4231502
***************

--