Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know that there has been a lot of talk about cost-of-living pressures in this parliament. I speak tonight on the urgent need to give our communities the opportunity to free themselves of the cost-of-living crisis that is the inability to access dental care under Medicare. The reality for so many Australians is that going to the dentist is completely out of reach. More and more people in Australia are putting off going to the dentist because it simply costs too much. Our community's health is suffering needlessly because of this, with 3.4 million Australians skipping dental care because of the cost. I've heard from so many people that they are holding out on going to the dentist. They are living with toothache, with gingivitis, with cavities, with hypersensitivity, with chipped and crooked teeth, and so many more profoundly painful conditions. It is impacting their lives, their livelihoods and their mental health.

We know that most dental issues that people are experiencing are largely preventable. In order to prevent these conditions, we must deliver affordable, regular visits to the dentist. Going to the dentist, going to see an oral health expert or practitioner, is essential health care. It is impossible to ignore the reality of the benefits that bringing dental care into Medicare would have for so many in our community. We know that poor dental care is linked to serious health conditions. Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, pregnancy complications, stroke, respiratory conditions—all are linked to poor dental and oral health. Why then is it that the government refuse to take action?

The average cost of a scale and clean nationally is $229. The most costly place to get a scale and clean is right here in the ACT, where it costs $284. In 90 per cent of federal electorates, the cost of a new-patient visit to the dentist exceeds $253. Forty-six per cent of Australians over 15 do not have access to private health cover to cover at least some of the cost. This reality is driving thousands, or tens of thousands, of unnecessary preventable presentations to emergency departments all over Australia. Hospitalisations for serious yet preventable dental conditions have increased by nearly 15 per cent since the COVID-19 pandemic. Public dental waiting times in the same period in Western Australia have increased to more than 10 months in some parts of WA.

The facts are clear; dental health care is essential health care. Far too many people are left without it. Investing in preventive dental care, especially preventive dental care for young people, preventive dental care for First Nations people and preventive dental care for disabled people, would deliver significantly improved health outcomes and lower the pressure on our already overrun public health system and emergency departments. If the government wants to know where the money for such programs could come from and if the government wants to know where we might find the money to fund dental care into Medicare, may I point them to $65 billion over the next 10 years in AUKUS submarine expenditure and over $400 billion over the next 30 years. Maybe, instead of buying these clapped-out old machines from the Americans, we could give people the ability to go to the dentist for free.