Dental News - Report highlights lack of access to dental care for the elderly

Dental Tribune International

Mon. 17. December 2018

save

SYDNEY, Australia: The state of Australians’ oral health has been covered extensively down under for many years. As reported by Dental Tribune early in 2018, more than 90 per cent of Australian adults have experienced decay in their permanent teeth. For the elderly, access to oral health care can be a real challenge and in a new report launched by the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia, a comprehensive picture of contemporary life for Australians aged 50 and over has been drawn and some critical data has been revealed.

The State of the (Older) Nation 2018 Report, is the most comprehensive national representative survey ever undertaken, according to COTA. Covering a number of subject areas, it revealed that 80 per cent of people in this age group felt younger than their chronological age and mentioned “health” as the number one factor that influences whether they had a high or low quality of life. Access to health services and the rising cost of living were also raised as crucial issues in the report, particularly for vulnerable, older Australians.

“This inaugural State of the (older) Report quantifies the key issues for older Australians in relation to employment, age discrimination, cost of living, financial security, health, home and aged care, housing, later life planning, consumer rights and transport,” said COTA Australia CEO Ian Yates.

With nearly a third of the population—7.9 million people in total—aged 50 years or older, the report also revealed a general concern around accessibility to dental services, which Yates highlights as one of the problems that needs to be addressed.

“COTA Australia is calling on all sides of politics to commit to a long-term national strategy to address the needs of older Australians, including increasing rent assistance by 40 per cent, taking a whole-of-government approach to services for older Australians and improving access to oral and dental health services for older Australians,” he said.

The report was commissioned by the Federation of nine Councils on the Ageing from across Australia and was independently conducted by Newgate Australia. It is expected to become an annual report in order to monitor the progress and the attitudes of older Australians over the long term.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

FDI survey highlights low level of oral care access for refugees

SAN FRANCISCO, U.S.: According to recent estimates from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are more than 70 million forcibly displaced...

Study highlights barriers to dental care for UAE children with special needs

DUBAI, UAE: Although barriers to dental care for children with special healthcare needs have been documented internationally, there is limited evidence from...

New care network improves dental access for cancer survivors

LEEDS, England: Improving oral healthcare for patients who have completed treatment for head and neck cancer remains a persistent challenge in the UK. Many ...

Partnership expands access to paediatric dental care in Connecticut

TORRINGTON, Conn., US: Now in its third year, a partnership between the University of Connecticut (UConn) School of Dental Medicine in Farmington and ...

Effects of professional oral care on oral infection in the elderly

The population is ageing rapidly because of the prolonged life expectancy evident in most industrialised countries in the world. Accordingly, the number of ...

Groundbreaking agreement expands dental care funding for children, the elderly and the disabled in Iceland

REYKJAVIK, Iceland: A new agreement signed on 13 June between the Icelandic Dental Association and Iceland Health, the country’s provider of publicly ...

Investigation highlights lack of consistent medical regulation

LONDON, UK: An investigation headed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has found that patients worldwide have potentially ...

Patients with disabilities to receive improved access to dental care

Chicago, U.S.: The American Dental Association (ADA) has recently revised its Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct to improve access to ...

Children’s tooth extractions highlight gaps in NHS dental access

LONDON, England: Dental health in children remains a significant public health concern, and new data has underscored ongoing pressures on services. Recent ...

Rare case of black hairy tongue reported

ST. LOUIS, U.S.: Black hairy tongue (BHT) refers to a condition of black or brown discoloration of the tongue due to elongated filiform papillae, giving the...

Education

Live webinar
Tue. 13 October 2026
1:00 pm EST (New York)