Push for seniors' dental scheme grows ahead of federal election

Aged care resident Arlene Freeland admits it's getting harder for her to clean her teeth properly as she grows older.

"I try my best and some days it's not good enough, really," she says.

"There should be more help for us oldies, who need as much help as we can get."

Dental therapist Leonie Short visited Arlene's Ipswich aged care facility, west of Brisbane, educating residents and their carers about preventative oral health care for seniors.

"Some of it was tips I didn't know," Arlene said.

"They have been helpful."

Arlene's nursing home was part of a research collaboration between the University of Southern Queensland, UnitingCare and Oral Tech AI to develop a digital platform to optimise oral health awareness, education, and screening in aged care.

Most aged care facilities do not have the resources to fund such a service, despite the potential dire risks.

"The consequences of poor oral health are illnesses, for example, having a tooth abscess … but also hospitalisation and unfortunately, death, and that could be from aspiration pneumonia, which is preventable, and also infective endocarditis," Ms Short said.

Infective endocarditis occurs when bacteria settle in the lining of the heart valves. It can be caused by staphylococcus bacteria, which are also found in dental plaque.

With Australians preparing to go to the polls on May 3, Ms Short called for a commitment toward dentally-led training for aged care workers in best practise oral health care.

"Oral health hasn't rated," Ms Short said.

Mum lost 'one of few pleasures left for her'

Four years since the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommended the federal government establish a seniors' dental scheme, it is yet to happen.

A Senate report in November 2023 also recommended a seniors' dental benefits scheme (SDBS).

Perth resident Amina Schipp has spent years pushing for better aged care in her mother's name, forming a grassroots advocacy group called Aged Care Reform Now.

When her mum Maria moved into residential aged care, staff told her not to bother taking her dentures because they would be misplaced.

"She did the best that she could herself and used rinses and that sort of thing, but over a period of time, chewing and eating without dentures in put a lot of pressure on the gums and the jaws," Ms Schipp said.

"That was when the issues started with the sores on the gums which led to infections and pain.

"She was no longer able to enjoy eating, which was one of the few pleasures left for her."

Her 98-year-old mother lost 17kg, dropping to 36kg, and started having dizzy spells and falls.

She died in 2019 after spending 15 months in residential care.

While there's been policy change since Maria's death with the aged care royal commission, last year the Inspector-General of Aged Care said the federal government could do better in key areas, including making sure nursing home residents had access to doctors and dentists.

"We still have a long way to go," Ms Schipp said.

Limited access to dental care

A report published by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission listed personal and oral hygiene among the top five complaint issues in the first quarter of this financial year.

Council on the Ageing Australia chief executive officer Patricia Sparrow said people in residential care often had limited access to dental care because they may not be able to get out to see a dentist.

"Or, there may not be a dentist that's prepared to go into a residential care setting," Ms Sparrow said.

She repeated calls for a seniors' dental benefit scheme.

"In this election year, we would hope to see that government would commit to funding a seniors' dental benefit scheme and making sure that all Australians, and we look particularly at older Australians who can't get to the dentist … can get the oral health care that they need," Ms Sparrow said.

National Seniors Australia has also called for a seniors' dental benefit scheme in a recent pre-budget submission.

"As people get older and increasingly frail, the ability to adhere to good oral health practices can decline dramatically," the submission said.

"Older people are more likely to have poor oral health, especially those with low socio-economic status and those living in residential aged care settings."

National Seniors Australia chief executive Chris Grice said while he would ideally like dentistry to be included in Medicare, "we have to be practical in terms of what the country can afford".

"What we're looking for is some sort of contribution in the form of $500 a year to support, in particular, pensioners as a targeted cohort to help them be able to fund dental care," he said.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said many people were "ambitious for dental to be covered by Medicare".

"I've tried to be honest with people that the government's focus right now is strengthening Medicare and rebuilding general practice," he said.

"I can't say to people that in the short term there's going to be any change to dental."

The Coalition was contacted for comment.