There are several issues related to oral health care in Australia. Some of these include:
- Access to care: Many Australians, especially those living in rural or remote areas, may face barriers to accessing oral health care services. This can be due to a shortage of dental professionals, limited public transport, and financial constraints.
- Cost of care: Dental care in Australia can be expensive, and many people may be unable to afford essential treatments. While the government provides some funding for certain groups such as children and low-income earners, many people still have to pay out-of-pocket expenses for dental care.
- Disparities in care: There are significant disparities in oral health outcomes among different populations in Australia. For example, Indigenous Australians and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to experience oral health problems than other Australians.
- Workforce shortages: There is a shortage of oral health professionals in some areas of Australia, which can lead to longer wait times and reduced access to care.
- Preventive care: There is a need to improve education and awareness about preventive oral health care practices, such as regular brushing, flossing, and dental check-ups, to reduce the incidence of oral health problems.
- Aged care: Many older Australians may face difficulties in accessing oral health care due to physical limitations or cognitive impairments. This can lead to a decline in oral health and overall health outcomes.
Overall, addressing these issues requires a multi-faceted approach that involves improving access to care, addressing disparities in care, promoting preventive care, and addressing workforce shortages.
One of the ways Dr Padma Gadiyar, a dentist running a number of practices in Brisbane, has considered is through digital health. Dr Gadiyar has developed Smilo.ai, an app that is able to take photos to assess the health of teeth through artificial intelligence, provide guidance on oral health issues for the user, at the same time helping to deliver public health literacy.
In this People In Health Care segment, Dr Gadiyar spoke to Australian Health Journal on how she hopes the app will help increase the number of people seeking dental treatment from the current 47% level in Australia. To date, 120,000 users have downloaded the app with more than 50 dental practices signed up with Smilo.ai to receive individual enquiries or seek dental treatment.
Smilo.ai is a member of the Australian Dental Industry Association.
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Medicinal cannabis in Australia Update
According to the Australian Journal of General Practice, published by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, more than 130,000 medicinal cannabis approvals have been issued in Australia to date, mostly by general practitioners, with approximately 65% of these to treat chronic non-cancer pain. Despite robust supportive data from animal models, current clinical trial evidence for THC and CBD efficacy in chronic pain is incomplete. In their prescribing decisions, doctors must balance patient demand and curiosity with caution regarding potential risks and limited efficacy (Source: https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2021/october/medicinal-cannabis)
Australian Health Journal met with 3 speakers at the recent @arcsaustralia ARCS22 Conference providing an update on medicinal cannabis. The discussion with the speakers now centres on affordability and access.
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Misinformation impacts routine vaccines
More significant changes in recent years have been health-related misinformation eroding trust in healthcare professionals, leading to people seeking alternative treatments or avoiding medical advice altogether. This can make it more difficult for healthcare professionals to provide effective treatment and care.
Recent vaccines delivered as part of the COVID-19 response, are having a consequential impact on the uptake of routine vaccines.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Dr Paul Griffin, an Infectious Diseases Physician and Microbiologist at Mater Health, and who has been involved in over 150 clinical trials in the field of infectious disease.
Paul talks about the importance of having reputable sources of information that can used to encourage people to understand what is involved in clinical trials and the roles of vaccines.
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Paediatric mental help for children of defence personnel, veterans and first responders
Dr Marg Rogers is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at University of New England (UNE) in Armidale, New South Wales. She is a prominent figure in early childhood education New South Wales, and is also a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Manna Institute, a mental health research organisation within the regional university network across Australia, that is building place based research capacity to improve the mental health of regional, rural and remote Australia.
