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Three years on from the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety ( RCACQS ), the Australian Dental Association NSW Branch ( ADA NSW ) is calling on the government to fund in the upcoming Federal Budget to introduce a phased dental benefits scheme for senior Australians . This comes as more Australians are living longer and the number of people over 85 is set to double in the next 25 years ( ABS ). The cost of poor oral health for older Australians has been put at more than $ 750 million per annum .
Back in March 2021 , several key dental and oral health
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recommendations were made in the RCACQS final report . At the time , the ADA NSW welcomed the fact the Royal Commission had successfully resulted in the inclusion of new oral health requirements in the draft Revised Aged Care Quality Standards . Very few recommendations such as a Seniors Dental Benefits Scheme have been implemented , leaving an oral health care crisis in the making .
There are estimated to be over 4.2 million Australians over 65 ( Australian Institute of Health and Welfare , June 2023 ) ADA NSW President Dr Dominic Aouad says “ In line with the Federal ADA 2024-25 Budget submission , we at ADA NSW want to see more government investment in oral health care . We know this is offset by reductions in health care costs elsewhere .”
For example , in 2021 – 22 , about 78,800 hospitalisations for dental conditions could potentially have been prevented with earlier treatment . Those aged over 65 years
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accounted for around 13,791 potentially preventable hospitalisations due to dental conditions in 2021 to 2023 .
The 2024-25 Budget submission made by the Federal ADA last month focuses on opportunities to :
• create a senior dental benefit scheme .
• enhance the child dental benefit scheme .
• adjust public dental services for adults funding arrangements ; and
• consider the introduction of health savings accounts
“ We want to ensure the recommended revised Standards from the Royal Commission findings in 2021 will lead to greater improvements in oral health including investment in seniors . The Government Response to the Royal Commission report indicates that this recommendation was subject to further consideration by 2023 . In its submissions to the Royal Commission , the ADA outlined the need for an SDBS and its benefits relative to other models . Now is the time to put money behind this Scheme ,” said Dr Aouad .
Recommendation 60 of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety is to Establish a Senior Dental Benefits Scheme ( SDBS ). The introduction of such a scheme is supported by stakeholders including the National Oral Health Alliance , the
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Council of the Ageing , the Consumers Health Forum , and National Seniors Australia . A phased approach to the introduction of an SDBS would allow the Government to control expenditure . Key features of the SDBS would include :
• Provide individual aged care residents with access to oral and dental care up to set limits . The SDBS should be established under the Dental Benefits Act 2008 so that rules existing under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule ( CDBS ) can be applied . Public and private dental service providers are familiar with the requirements of the CDBS and could therefore introduce services to this new cohort efficiently . Compliance measures existing under the CDBS could likewise be applied / extended efficiently by the Government .
• Support residential aged care staff . The introduction of an SDBS should be supported by efforts to increase the oral health literacy of care staff . This can be achieved by including mandatory oral health units of study in Certificate III in Aged Care .
The ADA could work in partnership to deliver any additional education required by staff with a Certificate III in Aged Care qualification .
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