IT'S NOT news that much of regional and remote Australia is suffering from drought, but there's also a drought of a different kind facing these communities.
Recent reports have highlighted a lack or oral care in these centres with many locations getting few visiting oral health services, or none at all.
The Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapists Association wants state and federal governments to consider ways of improving access to oral health care to people living outside major capital cities.
"We really need to see some work or support being given to those people or practitioners who live in these areas in order to ensure they have access to fair and equitable dental care similar to that of metropolitan dwellers," said ADOHTA president Ms Hellene Platell.
She said a co-operative approach was needed in which GPs were able to utilise oral health practitioners (dental therapists, oral health therapists and dental hygienists) to help patients with oral health issues.
Lack of clarity and consistency in state and territory government policies sometimes made it difficult for GPs to work with OHPs.
"There are a number of situations where our members work closely with locally based general practitioners and specialists to assist in providing dental services to patients.
"For example, whilst our members are not qualified to conduct a permanent tooth extraction they are able to take a radiogragh, assess and administer local anaesthetic and then the doctor can remove the tooth working closely with a dentist via video or teleconference in extremely rural and remote locations.
"This saves the patient having to wait weeks in pain for the dentist's next visit, having several courses of antibiotics and the doctor is more confident in helping the patients."
A formal and cooperative relationship between medicos and OHPs should be explored as a cost-effective way to ensure that all Australians has access to the best dental care available, said Ms Platell.
