Needless hospital admissions for thousands of seniors as government refuses to fund their dental care

By The Australian Dental Association

The government’s refusal to fund basic dental care for older Australians is costing them dearly in good oral health, while also wasting millions of taxpayer dollars from unnecessary hospitalisations of seniors.

The Australian Dental Association (ADA) has found a staggering 16,000 seniors were admitted to hospital for urgent treatment of painful dental issues in 2022-23 – and that figure is expected to rise to 22,630 by 2027-28, representing a 42% increase from an already unacceptable level.

“It’s a health trend that worsens by the year,” said ADA President Dr Chris Sanzaro, “and while Governments of all persuasions deny that the mouth is connected to the rest of the body and oral health doesn’t need additional funding, this shocking treatment of our most vulnerable at the hand of politicians is only going to worsen.

“We wouldn’t treat our kids or even our pets like this – so why is it OK to wilfully ignore the mouths of seniors and other vulnerable Australians? The ADA finds it baffling at best and sadistic at worst.

“To resolve this issue, the ADA is urging the next Australian Government to introduce a Seniors Dental Benefits Schedule to support older Australians to maintain their oral health.”

Key findings from ADA research and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data:

• Potentially preventable dental hospitalisations for Australians aged 65+ increased from 10,495 in 2016-17 to 15,959 in 2022-23.¹

• Based on the 7.24% a year increase across that period, hospitalisations are projected by the ADA to reach 22,630 by 2027-28, a 42% increase (from 2022-23 to 2027-28).²

“Potentially preventable hospitalisations like these represent not only a burden on our healthcare system but also reduced quality of life for our aging population. We should prioritise access to regular dental check-ups and preventative treatments to reverse this trend.”

The projected increase in hospitalisations has implications for healthcare resource allocation. It also highlights the need for greater public awareness of the importance of oral health in older age and access to dental treatment.

This grim picture is replicated at state level: in NSW, there were  3,721  potentially preventable hospitalisations of seniors for dental conditions  in 2021-2022. In other states the data is harder to access or is non-existent, save for Queensland where there are 207 over 65s per 1,000 people (or around one in five from that age cohort) hospitalised every year for a dental condition.

 

 

The call to act

The solution to resolving this picture of pain, neglect and suffering is simple – the ADA is urging the next government to:

• fund a Seniors Dental Benefits Schedule up to specified limits for holders of Commonwealth seniors’ health cards, pensioner concession cards and health care cards who are 65 years or older, and

• include an oral health component to GP checkups of over 75s so that problems can be identified earlier.

Dr Sanzaro added: “The ADA is looking forward to sitting down at the table with the Health Minister in the new Federal Government to set in motion this seniors’ dental scheme and end the suffering of this forgotten cohort of older Australians.”

Sources:

1.Oral health and dental care in Australia – Potentially preventable hospitalisations: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dental-oral-health/oral-health-and-dental-care-in-australia/contents/hospitalisations/potentially-preventable-hospitalisations

2. ADA analysis of AIHW data to inform future year projections:

New analysis projects a rise in potentially preventable hospitalisations due to dental conditions among Australians aged 65 and over.

AIHW data reveals an upward trend in these hospitalisations, increasing from 10,495 in 2016-17 to 15,959 in 2022-23.

Applying an annual growth rate of 7.24% pa as observed between 2016-17 to 2022-23, hospitalisations for this cohort are forecast by the ADA to reach 22,630 in 2027-2, a 42% increase..

Noting that the population has also increased in that time, this increase suggests a gap in preventative dental care for older Australians. ADA analysis of this data paints a concerning picture for future years, with projections indicating a continued upward trend in preventable hospitalisations unless significant measures are introduced.

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