By Molly Magennis
Waiting times for public dental care in Victoria have skyrocketed due to COVID restrictions, with residents in Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay heavily impacted.
According to new data released by the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch (ADAVB), waiting times have increased significantly as the impact of restrictions on access to basic dental care and a chronic lack of funding continue.
Only seven of the 51 community health agencies mentioned in the report had a waiting time for general dental care of less than 12 months, which is generally the recommended maximum interval for regular dental check-ups.
As of December 2021, IPC health in Altona Meadows had an average waiting time of 45.3 months for general care, for the 11,453 people on the waiting list.
For denture care, the waiting time was 25.5 months, with 51 people waiting.
Overall, the longest waiting time for general care was just over 5 years.
Residents in Maribyrnong waiting to receive dental care did not fare much better.
Cohealth in Footscray had almost 6000 people waiting to receive general dental care, who had an average waiting time of 43 months.
The longest waiting time for general care was four and a half years.
ADAVB chief executive Professor Matt Hopcraft said access to dental care had not been prioritised throughout the pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has placed significant strain across the health system, but access to dental care has not been prioritised, with Victorians unable to receive necessary dental care for significant periods of time over the past two years as a result of restrictions imposed by the Victorian Government,” he said.
“The ADAVB is calling on the State and Federal Governments to prioritise the importance of dental health by boosting funding in their upcoming budgets to tackle waiting lists in the short term and provide a sustainable increase in funding in the long term to double the number of patients receiving care over the next five years.”
