A 1 year wait for dentures?

[i-need-a-martini]

This woman had to wait 17 months which is outrageous. But then the article goes on to say that the wait is NORMALLY 1 year.

I didn't realise this the norm. 

I know that the public health system has this weird process whereas they will pay for you to go to a subsidised dentist to have all of your teeth removed if they are unstable or rotting. But surely this can be followed up immediately with replacement dentures? 

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/apology-for-woman-left-with-no-teeth-for-17-months-20140126...

[newstart2380]

---

@purple_haize wrote:

---

@newstart2380 wrote:

---

---

No, I don't have a problem but me thinks you are getting a bit testy and starting to take this personally as so many do on here.

Your comment  "Good on you for having friends that have private health care........it is so expensive to have when on a pension and not doing casual work." so I suggested a form of work that can be done at home and is not hard.

I said you sounded like you may be envious, I may have been wrong but if you don't need the money why are you not privately insured ?

I gladly let you look after your own health, I did not say you should be out "doing a casual job" it was just a suggestion if you wanted to earn some money at home.

You are on the aged pension and probably (am I wrong ?) on a disability pension as well with your spinal issues.

---

I am on the aged pension and I also have a carer as there are many household jobs I cant do, I have difficulty walking etc.......

---

That's sad for youThat's sad for you, I have a friend who has 2 children with disabilities and one is severe, she gets nothing, she works and the child with the severe disabiloity is 24/7 care. She has applied to every single office, agency, government office both state and federal and nothing and all because she owns gher own home (but has a mortgage).

---

Really,

My daughter works part time as an aged care nurse, both her kids have problems, her dr. sent the kids to see the top paediatrician at Monash, they were on a waiting list, anyway they did a series of tests on both kids, one is 9yrs. and the other is 3yrs. the kids get to see specialists for nothing, my daughter is carer for both of them and when the 3yr. old starts kinder soon she will have an early learning teacher who will also come to the house to see her.....my daughter was granted funding for both her kids..

This is in Victoria, where does your friend live?

---

NSW

[catsnknots]

---

@**meep** wrote:

it seems that even though teeth play a very important role in a persons general health, they are not considered important by successive govts.

The Chronic Disease Scheme was a good initiative.  I know quite a few people who were able to receive desperately needed treatment under the scheme.

---

Now that this scheme has been stopped and a new one is being introduced the wait is going to be longer and more people will get their teeth pulled rather than fixed as the public dentist does not have the time or the skills to do some of the major work. My work would not have been able to have been done by the public service. 

95% of the dentists work in the private sector. They do not have enough dentists to service the people in need. 

[newstart2380]

---

@catsnknots wrote:

---

@**meep** wrote:

it seems that even though teeth play a very important role in a persons general health, they are not considered important by successive govts.

The Chronic Disease Scheme was a good initiative.  I know quite a few people who were able to receive desperately needed treatment under the scheme.

---

Now that this scheme has been stopped and a new one is being introduced the wait is going to be longer and more people will get their teeth pulled rather than fixed as the public dentist does not have the time or the skills to do some of the major work. My work would not have been able to have been done by the public service. 

95% of the dentists work in the private sector. They do not have enough dentists to service the people in need. 

---

And I assume that is why you have Private Health Cover ? Dentists are business people who work in or own a practise to make money like doctors, the sooner the public wake up and realise this the better they will be. Doctors, dentists and most lawyers and all professional people train for years to earn their license or degrees and then go into practise or business to earn money. That's the reality, they don't learn their proffession to give free advise or services.

[catsnknots]

---

@newstart2380 wrote:

---

@catsnknots wrote:

---

@**meep** wrote:

it seems that even though teeth play a very important role in a persons general health, they are not considered important by successive govts.

The Chronic Disease Scheme was a good initiative.  I know quite a few people who were able to receive desperately needed treatment under the scheme.

---

Now that this scheme has been stopped and a new one is being introduced the wait is going to be longer and more people will get their teeth pulled rather than fixed as the public dentist does not have the time or the skills to do some of the major work. My work would not have been able to have been done by the public service. 

95% of the dentists work in the private sector. They do not have enough dentists to service the people in need. 

---

And I assume that is why you have Private Health Cover ? Dentists are business people who work in or own a practise to make money like doctors, the sooner the public wake up and realise this the better they will be. Doctors, dentists and most lawyers and all professional people train for years to earn their license or degrees and then go into practise or business to earn money. That's the reality, they don't learn their proffession to give free advise or services.

---

I have private cover but there is no way I could have afforded the out of pocket expenses. I was allowed to use the Chronic disease scheme and am incredibly grateful. 

I do not argue that they charge too much. I have spoken to the owner of the dental practice that I go to and he told me all about his set up costs and running costs. I think that they should be able to qualify for medicare assistance. 

[monman12]

CT: "Antibiotics can rot your teeth and other meds too so no amount of  brushing and flossing will fix that"

I never believe comments like that without a credible reference, so please CT.

2005
New research links amoxicillin, an antibiotic commonly used to treat babies' ear infections, to tooth enamel problems.
That doesn't prove that the drug caused those problems. More studies are needed, and the researchers aren't calling for any changes in amoxicillin's use.

2012
When children are still growing, tetracycline combines with calcium in their teeth, producing a stain,’unfortunately the stains, though not harmful, are permanent,

That aside, I do wonder at the expectation that the State (taxpayers) will/should provide for what I would expect to be normal ills/afflictions, especially those normally associated with ageing. 

nɥºɾ

[bluecat*dancing]

Dentistry needs to be covered by medicare.

[boris1gary]

monman.

How about affordable, accessable oral healthcare for all - after all in the long run that would save money as oral health is very important to a peson's overall health.