MAKING HISTORY: THE ROAD TO A BETTER FUTURE
OLDER AUSTRALIANS DESERVE GOOD ORAL CARE ORAL HEALTH FOR OLDER AUSTRALIANS WAS IGNORED IN THIS YEAR’S FEDERAL BUDGET, DESPITE BEING KEY TO OVERALL WELLBEING
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ccess to appropriate oral health care services is not a privilege but a basic human right. While other allied health services such as podiatry are provided via Medicare to older Australians to assist with mobility and the prevention of falls, there are no such provisions made for oral health. It was hugely disappointing, therefore, that the recent Federal Budget ignored several recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety aimed at transforming the oral health of older Australians. These included a recommendation—as made by the Australian Dental Association NSW alongside a coalition of key stakeholders in a submission to the Royal Commission—by Commissioner Lynelle Briggs for every care provider to engage an oral health practitioner to help address the oral health needs of older Australians receiving care.
Tooth decay and gum disease are the most common chronic diseases in Australia. Despite these diseases being extremely prevalent, they are not identified by residential aged care staff or carers due to gaps in their knowledge and understanding and reticence to look in residents’ mouths. Both are preventable by the provision of simple, regular oral health care.
There’s huge unmet need in the care and maintenance of natural teeth in a population who are often frail and dependent on others for personal care. The Royal Commission heard distressing evidence, for example, of residents in aged care going without basic oral health items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste.
However, the oral health status of the frail elderly is equally poor, whether they live in residential facilities or are being cared for at home. As this population transitions from independent living to needing assistance with their daily activities, levels of dental Continued on page 50
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