Senate investigating dental services in Australia

The Senate is establishing a Select Committee into the Provision of and Access to Dental Services in Australia.

​The terms of reference of the Inquiry are detailed below, but needless to say, this is a great opportunity for everyone in the dental sector who understand the problems to highlight the challenges in accessing care that many in the community face.

While the Australian Dental Association is making a submission on behalf of the profession, we would encourage all members to share their experiences directly with the Committee.

There are two ways in which you can do this, send your comments directly through the submission process which closes on 4th June.

Alternatively, you may wish to complete the online survey however the questions in the survey are targeted to consumers rather than practitioners.  

Submissions can be made via email or via mail to PO Box 6100, Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 by 5:00pm (AEST), Thursday, 4 June 2023.

Further details are available via the inquiry’s website.

The Inquiry will be charged with inquiring into and reporting on:

a) the experience of children and adults in accessing and affording dental and related services;

b) the adequacy and availability of public dental services in Australia, including in outer-metropolitan, rural, regional and remote areas; 

c) the interaction between Commonwealth, state and territory government legislation, strategies and programs in meeting community need for dental services; 

d) the provision of dental services under Medicare, including the Child Dental Benefits Schedule; 

e) the social and economic impact of improved dental healthcare; 

f) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis on access to dental and related services;

g) pathways to improve oral health outcomes in Australia, including a path to universal access to dental services;

h) the adequacy of data collection, including access to dental care and oral health outcomes;

i) workforce and training matters relevant to the provision of dental services;

j) international best practice for, and consideration of the economic benefit of, access to dental services;

k) any related matters.