Dentists call on government to fix ‘under resourced’ public system

Dentists are calling for a major overhaul of the dental system as wait times for public care exceed 17 months, leaving many Australians without essential treatment.

Victorian branch CEO of the Australian Dental Association, Matt Hopcraft, says the system is “under resourced”, and clinics don’t have the capacity to treat a large number Australians waiting for public care.

“We spend about $11 billion a year on dental services across Australia, but most of that comes from individuals, not from governments,” he told Neil Mitchell.

Press PLAY to hear more about problems with the public care system