Filling the gap

摘要: When Australians need to see a GP, Medicare picks up all or most of the bill. When they need to see a dentist, Australians are on their own. There’s no compelling medical, economic, or legal reason to treat the mouth so differently from the rest of the body. Australia should move towards a universal primary dental care scheme, funded by the Commonwealth Government.Most spending on dental care comes straight out of patients’ pockets. As a result, people who can’t afford to pay don’t get dental care, unless they go on long (often multi-year) waiting lists for public care. About 2 million people who needed dental care in the past year either didn’t get it, or delayed getting it, because of the cost. Low-income people are most likely to miss out on care.