Dental

[mantra]

This will be done in PUBLIC Dental System. You will not be able to go to your Dentist and claim back. Already the Public Dental System has a waiting list of 400,000 people.

Sounds like a terrific idea. Not! Anyone who wants to keep their teeth will still go to their usual Dentist and pay for it.

My children went to an excellent school dentist until year 6 - but I would never go to a public dentist. I've heard too many horror stories about them.

Private dentists are expensive - but there is no other choice if we want to maintain our teeth. They are still cheaper than calling in a plumber.

[Neferti]

This will be done in PUBLIC Dental System. You will not be able to go to your Dentist and claim back. Already the Public Dental System has a waiting list of 400,000 people.

Sounds like a terrific idea. Not! Anyone who wants to keep their teeth will still go to their usual Dentist and pay for it.

My children went to an excellent school dentist until year 6 - but I would never go to a public dentist. I've heard too many horror stories about them.

Private dentists are expensive - but there is no other choice if we want to maintain our teeth. They are still cheaper than calling in a plumber.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, many years ago all Primary Schools had a Dentist come every six months or so.This would have been in the 1980's? This was FREE. There has always been a Public Dentist at the "local" Health Centre/Department but you would only go there if you were on the Dole, had an abscessed tooth and were in great pain and they would rip it out!!! No charge. These days Dentists do NOT extract teeth, you get root canal at $2,500 a time!

I don't know about calling a Plumber, haven't had to do that very often. Last time I had a blocked drain it cost me $130 to get cleared with the "eel", including him knocking on the door.

[mantra]

I don't know about calling a Plumber, haven't had to do that very often. Last time I had a blocked drain it cost me $130 to get cleared with the "eel", including him knocking on the door.

I hate plumbers. I've had extensive work done over the years and each time I have been ripped off and various jobs repeated 2 or 3 times. I have forked out thousands - partly my fault because I didn't take the time to find out how simple their job really is.

[Neferti]

Anyway ......... Back on topic.

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/ ... ntalreform

Child Dental Benefits Schedule

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) will commence from 1 January 2014. This $2.7 billion measure will provide a Commonwealth funded capped benefit entitlement for basic dental services for children. Around 3.4 million children aged 2-17 in families who meet a means test will be eligible for benefits each year. The means test will be the same as the existing Medicare Teen Dental Plan (MTDP), which requires receipt of Family Tax Benefit Part A or other certain government payments. The CDBS will replace the MTDP from 1 January 2014.

Services for basic essential dental treatment, such as check-ups, x-rays, fillings and extractions will be included in the CDBS. High end (crowns, bridges, root canal) and orthodontic items are excluded. The total benefit entitlement will be capped at $1,000 per child over a two year period.

National Partnership Agreement (NPA) for adult public dental services

The Government will provide $1.3 billion to states and territories from 1 July 2014 under a NPA to expand services for adults in the public dental system. The funding will assist up to 1.4 million low income adults to receive dental services.

They already have a backlog of 400,000 patients with a health care card who have toothache. You will NOT be able to go to your own Dentist and claim the cost back. I would say it is just porkbarelling. Must be an Election around the corner.

[Black Orchid]

As I mentioned in my earlier post, many years ago all Primary Schools had a Dentist come every six months or so.This would have been in the 1980's? This was FREE. There has always been a Public Dentist at the "local" Health Centre/Department but you would only go there if you were on the Dole, had an abscessed tooth and were in great pain and they would rip it out!!! No charge. These days Dentists do NOT extract teeth, you get root canal at $2,500 a time!

I never had a Dentist visit my school. Nor did my children. Do you mean all public primary schools?

Root canals have a use by date if they are done on teeth that bear pressure when chewing ie molars and molars then need to be crowned. So what will we have in the future? A generation of gummy kids because a public dentist ripped all their teeth out?

In my view children under 17 shouldn't even need fillings or extractions if they are taught proper dental care and nutrition. I guess this is what the government is hoping too

[Aussie]

So, root canals have a use by date do they?

[Black Orchid]

Yes, Aussie. As I said. If they are molars and haven't been finished with a crown they will not last forever. Eventually the tooth will break

On your bike and go and do more research

[Neferti]

I never had a Dentist visit my school. Nor did my children. Do you mean all public primary schools?

Root canals have a use by date if they are done on teeth that bear pressure when chewing ie molars and molars then need to be crowned. So what will we have in the future? A generation of gummy kids because a public dentist ripped all their teeth out?

In my view children under 17 shouldn't even need fillings or extractions if they are taught proper dental care and nutrition. I guess this is what the government is hoping too

Yes, Public Primary Schools. I never had a Dentist at my school either but friends have told me about their experiences with the horrible School Dentist back in the 1980's?

Services for basic essential dental treatment, such as check-ups, x-rays, fillings and extractions will be included

Your regular Dentist will not do extractions. So parents who use the Public Dental System will have to pay for root canal, crowns, etc. if they are needed. Otherwise, gummy kids, as you said. What happens at the moment for those on low incomes who have toothache? Dentists do not give discounts and with this Public Dental System you can't claim anything back since it is a "free" service with the usual waiting times, I presume.

[mantra]

I never had a Dentist visit my school. Nor did my children. Do you mean all public primary schools?

It might be different in Canberra - but there were half a dozen or so school dentists who practised full time from a separate building. This service was available to private and public school children and continued well into the early 2000's. It was available until a child turned 12 and my last child used it in 2000.

Root canals have a use by date if they are done on teeth that bear pressure when chewing ie molars and molars then need to be crowned. So what will we have in the future? A generation of gummy kids because a public dentist ripped all their teeth out?

In my view children under 17 shouldn't even need fillings or extractions if they are taught proper dental care and nutrition. I guess this is what the government is hoping too

Apparently fluoride is supposed to make a difference, but thankfully my area didn't have it. Some parents don't care enough to teach their children dental hygiene and many of them are raised on soft drinks and sugary takeaways.

Dentists must still pull teeth out, otherwise there wouldn't be so many toothless people around. You have to pay a lot to keep your own teeth and a lot of people can't afford a private dentist.

[Neferti]

If you think health/dental care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free!

-- P.J O'Rourke