The Australasian Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (AAPD) is calling on the government to urgently provide more funding to allow urgent and life-altering treatments for children in regional public hospitals, as the dental waiting lists especially for surgeries just keep growing across the country.
AAPD representative Dr Tim Keys, who is based in QLD’s Sunshine Coast, says patients under the age of 18 are routinely being left untreated and sent home with chronic pain including facial swelling as public dental clinics are not able to admit them in hospitals for urgent treatment in a timely manner.
“Nearly every paediatric dentist in the country has had their lists cut or threatened to be cut. This has resulted in a reduction of patients that can be treated privately and a blow out to already multi-year waits in the public sector,” adds Dr Keys.
According to the 2024 Oral Health Tracking data, paediatric dentists estimate around 1500 fewer infants and children receive operations and are left suffering in pain, because of the lack of hospital theatre space for child dental patients.
Based in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland and working in regional Hervey Bay, Dr Keys laments that families are driving up to three hours for private treatments, having been turned away from hospitals who should be able to treat them.
“I recently saw a 4-year-old patient with a large facial swelling who was turned away from the local hospital and told to go see the dentist. They then went to the public dentist, who was unable to provide any treatment as they were too young and could not get access to admit them for urgent surgery. Finally, the family contacted us very distressed. They had to be admitted into hospital on IV antibiotics until treatment could be provided. We ended up seeing them on the Monday morning, because there was a cancellation Sunday evening. This is just one of hundreds of similar stories,” Dr Keys added.
Dr Keys highlights the lack of representation for dentists federally and across the states. A coordinated approach for dental is required. There is no Chief Dental Officer in Australia, so paediatric dentists are reliant on other medical colleagues to advocate for dentistry in Australia. He adds the Federal health minister has not even met with a dental representative since they were elected.
In Perth, Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne, there are dedicated children’s hospitals, where patients can be admitted under Paediatric Dentistry in those facilities. The same is not so for everywhere else in Australia. In Queensland, there currently is no afterhours dental or paediatric care available leaving hundreds of children in limbo and pain.
“We need better access as these issues of being left untreated and are now becoming routine. Paediatric dentists have shared this happens multiple times across the week in all states. In Australia, many patients live with swollen faces and are turned away by public hospitals or left on multi-year waitlists which is not where we want dental care for Australians to remain. They are now even struggling to get access to private care as our lists are steadily removed. They miss days at school, parents need to take time off work and they can fail to eat and thrive properly.
“We have third-world service delivery in a first-world country” said Dr Keys.
About the AAPD:
The Australasian Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (AAPD) evolved in 1990 as an adjunct to the Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry (ANZSPD). That Society, founded in 1972 and initially known as the Society of Dentistry for Children, served as a forum to discuss a range of issues within dentistry relating to children. Membership of the Academy was to be open to all dentists registered as Specialists in Paediatric Dentistry with their State or National Dental Boards.
