Dentists head to Parliament House calling for a National Oral Health Plan

Forty dentists from every state and territory in Australia will converge on Canberra on 11 and 12 August for the Australian Dental Association's (ADA) Dentist on the Hill event, calling on federal parliamentarians to release the National Oral Health Plan (NOHP), secure the future of the dental profession and improve the oral health of the nation. 

Delegates will span the full breadth of the profession, from young dentists early in their careers through to experienced specialists and practitioners from regional and metropolitan communities.

Dentist on the Hill brings these ADA members to Parliament House for two days of individual meetings with MPs and Senators across the political spectrum. In groups of three to four, delegates will share why dental health matters to them personally, and why parliamentarians should act on their concerns.

One in three Australian adults (32 per cent) has untreated tooth decay, and more than 2 million Australians have skipped dental care due to affordability. The NOHP was due to be put to the Health Ministers Meeting in late 2024, with the plan itself designed to run from 2025 to 2034. Government has continually delayed its release. The ADA is calling on the Federal Government to release the Plan and fund it in full, so the profession can get on with co-designing solutions that work for dentists and consumers. 

ADA President Dr Chris Sanzaro said oral health could no longer sit outside mainstream health policy.

"Every day in our practices we see the cost of leaving dental care out of the health system. A National Oral Health Plan is not a luxury, it is essential to giving Australians the access to care they deserve," Dr Sanzaro said. "Dentist on the Hill gives our members the chance to put these issues directly to the people who can act on them. Every MP can do something to help, whether that is writing to the Minister or speaking in parliament. This year the message is clear: the future of dentistry, and the oral health of the nation, depends on the decisions made in this term of parliament."

ADA Vice President Dr Angie Nilsson said the profession's future depended on addressing workforce distribution and access, particularly for regional and remote communities.

"The future of dentistry depends on making sure every Australian, no matter their postcode, has access to a dentist. We are seeing real workforce pressure in regional and remote areas, and without a properly funded National Oral Health Plan, that gap will only widen. This is about building a pipeline of dentists who can go where they're needed and stay there, so the next generation of Australians grows up with the same access to care as everyone else." Dr Nilsson said.

Dentists attending Dentist on the Hill lobby event will hold meetings with MPs and Senators across all major parties, reinforcing the ADA's ongoing advocacy is seeking improved access for vulnerable populations.