Dental health is something that affects everyone. Teeth are the main feature of your smile, so bad teeth can undermine your confidence. Dental care is expensive through the private sector and difficult to obtain through the public sector.
We need to establish a fully funded national health dentist service, which is free to the user aged up to 18 years old, and only a nominal charge for people 18 plus. The service, which is for Australian citizens and permanent residents only, will be funded by sovereign money, which is the only exception to the non-return policy that is applied to sovereign money payments. Providing the nation with good and free dental care is in the best interests of the people.
It will be necessary for an adult aged over 18 years of age to pay a $10 contribution fee for any and every visit to the dentist. This is not an unreasonable amount to pay, which allowing for two dentist visits a year is only $20. All costs above this amount are paid by Denticare.
Private dental care will still be permitted. Persons who opt for private dental care will pay the full amount of the dental bill themselves or via their private health insurance. Private dental care may be needed for those who wish to jump the queue and seek urgent treatment, that otherwise could wait. The patient may only wish to use a particular dentist, whose time is short. All foreign patients, holiday visitors and non-Australian residents will need to pay for their own dental visits.
