Teeth wait longer still

Alex de Vos
Geelong patients are waiting longer to see dentists, according to a new report.
State opposition health spokesperson Helen Shardey said the Your Hospitals report revealed patient waiting times had increased significantly in the past year.
The report revealed that patients in Newcomb waited three years for denture care and 32 months for general dental services, with both up around10 per cent.
Belmont patients waited more than two years to see a dentist, an increase of six months, the report said.
Ms Shardey said Geelong’s dental crisis was “unacceptable”.
“Just like our hospitals that are buckling under the pressure of increased demand, Victorian dental health services simply cannot cope,” she said.
“The government has no plans to reduce dental waiting times or reduce the number of dental emergencies.
“Dental patients must be seen in a timely manner and leaving them languishing on waiting lists for months contributes to the need for more complex treatment.”
But the Government said it had provided an “extra” $138 million to treat more patients and cut waiting lists.
“We’re also boosting dental health infrastructure, with the number of community dental chairs up 66 per cent,” a spokesperson said.
“Since December, 2005, seven new public dental clinics have been opened, bringing the total number to 69.
“More than 50 undergraduate students commenced a Bachelor of Dentistry at Bendigo in 2008. This will almost double the total number of graduating dentists in Victoria each year.”