Dental reform only part of the solution

The Federal Government is being called upon to address what's been identified as a dental crisis affecting certain sectors of the public, including in rural and regional areas across the Monaro.

Health organisations including The National Rural Health Alliance want the Government to fund a universal oral and dental health scheme.

They say that economic modelling has revealed the current cost to the economy resulting from poor access to dental care is around two billion dollars per year, based on avoidable hospital emergency admissions and lost productivity in the workplace.

Executive Director Gordon Gregory from the NRHA says that current shortages of health professionals in rural and regional locations make the situation even more difficult in areas like the Monaro.