Davin Michael never imagined putting his name on the state's dental waiting list would mean four years of pain. Three years into his lengthy wait, two of his molars snapped off.    :(

The 34-year-old spent the next year taking painkillers and lathering teething gel on his throbbing gums. He even resorted to swishing whisky in his mouth — a trick he had seen in old movies. When things got really bad he stopped smiling; embarrassed to show his teeth.

"It was one of those pains where you just don't know when it will go away," the Pakenham father says. "It gets to the point where it's driving you nuts."



When, after four years, he learnt he would have a longer wait for help, Mr Michael contacted the Brotherhood of St Laurence, which booked him into a dental hospital and paid $5000 for 10 fillings and two extractions.

As the federal government and Greens negotiate reforms to the way Australians access dental care, about 400,000 Australians remain on public dental waiting lists, some waiting up to five years to access treatment.   :(

"We have basically got to a point where we are looking at Third World conditions in a country like Australia," Consumer Health Forum chief executive Carol Bennett says. "We should have never allowed it to get to this point."

The situation is particularly bad in regional areas. The longest average wait in the state is 38 months at Northeast Health Wangaratta, compared to a state average of 17 months.    :(

Northeast Health Wangaratta chief executive Margaret Bennett says the service's lengthy waiting list reflects the large area it serves. Patients travel from Beechworth, Yarrawonga and Benalla for anything from routine to emergency care.

"We have very dedicated experts working in a very cramped, rented building," she says.

Margaret Bennett hopes a new $900,000 purpose-built dental facility and the May federal budget's $515 million dental package will reduce waiting lists in clinics like hers. But with Australians waiting an average 27months for dental treatment, some advocates are pinning hopes on the Greens' Medicare-style dental care plan.    ;)

"It's not just a health issue. It's an issue of social justice," Greens health spokesman Richard Di Natale says.

The senator is in talks with the government about a replacement for the Medicare Chronic Disease Dental Scheme, which he says will create a platform for a universal dental system.

Senator Di Natale says a universal scheme would be implemented over five years and cost about $5 billion per annum.

Victorian Health Minister David Davis warns the federal government against axing the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme on September 30, which he says is worth $680 million to Victoria over the next four years.

While Mr Davis says he would work with the federal government if a universal dental scheme was implemented, he can't imagine that any time soon.

"Given the challenge to the Commonwealth budget and the challenge to the state budgets, a broad, universal scheme would be a challenge," Mr Davis says.

Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch president Matthew Hopcraft believes in a targeted dental scheme, where funding helps the 30 to 35 per cent of the population who struggle to access dental care.   

In the meantime, vulnerable Victorians continue to call on charity for help. In the past two years the Brotherhood has helped more than 100 Victorians with dental bills. The Brotherhood's dental program manager Mary Pearce says: "You are holding someone up in their life if they can't get treatment."

"One man was trying to get a job and had impacted wisdom teeth. They had been X-rayed and were getting infected every six weeks. The job network provider said, 'how are we going to get him a job when he has to take time off work every six weeks?"

Mr Hopcraft says the private sector has a "very strong role" to play in reducing waiting lists.

"Our members do a lot of pro bono work and work in different capacities. We are continuing to talk to federal and state governments to make sure the private sector is very involved in this."

Unfortunately, he says, by the time some public patients get to see a dentist their mouths are in a very poor state.   :(

"If people are on a waiting list for two years before they are seen then that small problem becomes a big problem. We know public dental patients are more likely to have extractions than people who aren't on waiting lists."

This certainly holds true for Sandy Jensen, whose teeth had started to fall out and crumble by the time she got to see a dentist.

Unable to afford all the dental work she needed and unaware that she was eligible for public dental assistance, the mother-of-two says she had no choice but to let her teeth rot.    :(

"I couldn't eat food properly. I was always in a lot of pain and I was always on antibiotics," she says.

For eight years her diet consisted of soup, custard and pureed meals and she says her two boys were embarassed to walk down the street with her.

An employment agency told Ms Jensen that finding work would be difficult because "the public don't want to be served by someone who doesn't have teeth."

She was eventually referred to the Brotherhood, who helped her with the $500 co-payment for dentures.

Ms Jensen says her life is now back on track — she works part-time as a cleaner and has applied to retrain in animal studies.

"My son was so excited when I was finally getting my teeth," she says. "He threw a little party. We had party pies, something I could eat for a change."    :)

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/dental-care-leaves-a-bad-taste-in-many-mouths-20120615-20f6k.html#ixzz1xthrMV2Z

There's no bounce in their step when their teeth are hanging by a thread. Who said we were a third world country?

Hopefully the Greens can save the day. The Greens care about people, unlike the right and far right parties.

A few years ago I was living in a small town in QLD and there was only 1 dentist in the area. It was not a free dentist - it was a very rich charging dentist. The waiting list was 3 months.

SOB

I should assume that the Greens will pay for other people's dental care. I mean, certainly they wouldn't expect hard-working tax-payers to pay the bills of those who don't care/bother to take care of their own teeth?!

"It's not just a health issue. It's an issue of social justice," Greens health spokesman Richard Di Natale says.    ;)

Imcrook - who do you expect should pay for the dental plan?

Tell me, why should taxpayers pay for people who don't pay much tax to have free dental care?

In America I pay for myself mate.

What about the unemployed, the poor, the sick, the disabled.  The people that cant afford dental care?.  Not everyone can.   :-?  

Why are there so many on here who support welfare?

I can only imagine the fact is that people on here don't work too much and don't pay much in tax?

Of all my friends and work colleagues in Australia, none believe paying more welfare and offering free dental/health care is a good thing.

Then again, my friends all paid a fair amount of tax and believed the AUS Government was screwing them badly.

I just wonder why the demographic on here is so different to anything I hear from people I know in my time in Melbourne?

Nobody I know is as pro-welfare as some of you.

wrote on Jun 16^th, 2012 at 9:08am:

What about the unemployed, the poor, the sick, the disabled.  The people that cant afford dental care?.  Not everyone can.   :-?

So, I'll ask you again.
Why should those of us who pay our own way pay for them as well?

Why do they do for me?

Because we don't want the poor to lose their teeth.   ;)

wrote on Jun 16^th, 2012 at 9:11am:

Because we don't want the poor to lose their teeth.   ;)

Sorry but I couldn't care less about the poor if they don't help themselves.
How about they get off their backsides get a job and pay to go see the dentist like I do?

Novel thought isn't it? Working and paying your own way?
Why do that when they can live off the backs of people like me who 70 hours per week?

Last time my healthcare picked up all but $10 of my 30 mins of work at the dentist.

wrote on Jun 16^th, 2012 at 9:11am:

Because we don't want the poor to lose their teeth.   ;)

Well give the idiots toothpaste, a toothbrush and teach the d!ckheads how to brush their friggin teeth.

angeleyes wrote on Jun 16^th, 2012 at 9:14am:

wrote on Jun 16th, 2012 at 9:11am: Because we don't want the poor to lose their teeth.   ;) Well give the idiots toothpaste, a toothbrush and teach the d!ckheads how to brush their friggin teeth.

It's a very good point actually.

I am fed up of the society of people who want something for nothing.

Give me this, give me that....

How much do these pr!cks pay into society in tax to pay for all this?

Most of the losers that Imcrook is always banging on about pay in next to bugger all and still want the same things I have that I pay for???

Even with regular brushing of the teeth.  People still will need to to see a dentist, on a fairly regular basis.   ;)

wrote on Jun 16^th, 2012 at 9:18am:

Even with regular brushing of the teeth.  People still will need to to see a dentist, on a fairly regular basis.   ;)

Then if they can afford it, they should pay for it.

If they can't then they don't.

Stop sticking up for losers mate.

The dental care program should be a vote winner for the Greens, the party that cares about people and their teeth.

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Jun 16^th, 2012 at 9:24am:

The dental care program should be a vote winner for the Greens, the party that cares about people and their teeth.

Promote free things for losers.
How about a party that believes people should actually pay their way?

Novel concept for some of you isnt it?

I am not sticking up for losers.  I am sticking up for the people, that cant afford to go to a dentist.   ;)

wrote on Jun 16^th, 2012 at 9:26am:

I am not sticking up for losers.  I am sticking up for the people, that cant afford to go to a dentist.   ;)

If you can't afford to go to a dentist - then you are a loser in my book.

The Greens expect hard-working Australians to pay for those who do nothing but sit on their backsides all day, dole bludge. Why should hard-working Australians pay for those who damage to their own teeth, such as smoking, and in general possessing poor dental hygiene.

Interesting point matty.

I worked for a Pharma company in Australia and the figures we had on lifestyle etc.

In Melbourne the lowest 15% of income earners have the worst dietary habits and vices - such as smoking, drinking and gambling.

Maybe they'd have more if they didn't p*ss it up the wall on cigarettes and booze.

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Jun 16^th, 2012 at 7:45am:

A few years ago I was living in a small town in QLD and there was only 1 dentist in the area. It was not a free dentist - it was a very rich charging dentist. The waiting list was 3 months. SOB

you made that up, that makes no sense at all.

Maybe a lot of people wouldn't have a lot of problems, if they earned $150k or so.  The top 10 per cent of income earners.  Don't think they would have problems paying to see a dentist.   ;)   

Just say no to everything politicians propose till they start having referendums and respecting the will of the people again.

We don't want a American user pays health system.  Its not the way to go for Australia.   ;)

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jun 16^th, 2012 at 9:09am:

Why are there so many on here who support welfare? I can only imagine the fact is that people on here don't work too much and don't pay much in tax? Of all my friends and work colleagues in Australia, none believe paying more welfare and offering free dental/health care is a good thing. Then again, my friends all paid a fair amount of tax and believed the AUS Government was screwing them badly. I just wonder why the demographic on here is so different to anything I hear from people I know in my time in Melbourne? Nobody I know is as pro-welfare as some of you.

Because you are a yank. Welfare there is a lot different. Apparently you can actually live on the pension there. Of course it could be the kind of ppl you are hanging around with too. The ones with no compassion or empathy. In america (same as here) you pay into the pension through your working life so its not "welfare" really. Its your money.

SOB

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Jun 16^th, 2012 at 7:45am:

A few years ago I was living in a small town in QLD and there was only 1 dentist in the area. It was not a free dentist - it was a very rich charging dentist. The waiting list was 3 months. SOB

I need to point this out again. Even if you PAY for a dentist you get on a waiting list sometimes. This is unhealthy.

SOB

corporate_whitey wrote on Jun 16^th, 2012 at 9:38am:

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Jun 16th, 2012 at 7:45am: A few years ago I was living in a small town in QLD and there was only 1 dentist in the area. It was not a free dentist - it was a very rich charging dentist. The waiting list was 3 months. SOB you made that up, that makes no sense at all.

That dentist was raking it in.

SOB