More dental clinics, more dentists where needed
Expanding services for rural Australians
Kathleen has lived all her life in a small rural community in south west Queensland. She rarely visits a dentist as she needs to travel for four hours to a larger town centre to receive treatment. She is also worried that her children will not easily be able to access a dentist.
Through the assistance provided by the Government, more dentists will be able to relocate to a regional, rural or remote area.
Access to dental services for all Australians
There is a shortage of dentists and dental practices in regional, rural and remote Australia. That is why the Government is investing:
- $77.7 million over four years to encourage dentists to relocate to regional, rural and remote areas and set up practices;
- $45.2 million over four years to establish an oral health therapist graduate year program that will boost the capacity in the public dental system;
- $35.7 million over three years to expand the voluntary dental graduate year program; and
- $10.5 million over three years for oral health promotion to improve Australia's oral health.
Additional investment through the Health and Hospitals Fund
The Government is investing $475 million on new regional health infrastructure including $8.2 million for dental health projects:
- a six surgery public dental clinic in Murray Bridge;
- a four chair general dental clinic in Narrogin;
- a mobile oral health clinic in Charleville; and
- a mobile dental unit for people in the Pilbara and Kimberley areas.
