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Rural health services the towns without dentists

Posted By talonng73

"Rural health services the towns without dentists"

About: Carnarvon Government Dental Clinic Patient Assisted Travel Scheme - WACHS Midwest

(as the patient),

Our town has no Dentist , I have heard several reasons why and the most common one is that no Dentists want to live or work here. This town along with many others has been the victim of uncontrolled violence, Home invasions and Theft.

As I understand it, there is no Public health Dentist now,  Even the private dentist has left town. The response is well, just drive to the nearest major town to have an extraction or filling done. Sounds Easy Doesn't it?  Ok, so I have to drive 600 kilometres to do that, which to be sensible about it requires driving down the day before your appointment, and staying overnight, completing your appointment and staying 1 more night before returning 600 kilometres the following day. I believe the costs incurred if you get cheap accommodation are $120 a night and $200 for the fuel at todays prices. Without buying food I believe that is $440 plus the cost of your treatment, which thankfully is covered on my aged pension card. Now because Dental work and extractions aren't covered by PATS it means that I cant afford to go again in 2 weeks or even a month to have other necessary extractions done. Isn't it time that Dental work is Treated as a necessary and specialist treatment?

Treatment

Treatment


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Responses

Response from Theresa Marshall, A/Executive Director, Mental Health, Public Health and Dental Services, North Metropolitan Health Service 11 months ago
Theresa Marshall
A/Executive Director, Mental Health, Public Health and Dental Services,
North Metropolitan Health Service

Submitted on 6/06/2023 at 6:09 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 7/06/2023 at 8:49 AM

Dear talonng73,

I understand your concerns about the situation in your hometown and sympathise with the frustration you must be feeling as well as the difficulty of the financial consequences.

The public health system is experiencing significant challenges in recruiting dentists to country locations in Western Australia and Carnarvon in particular. Dental Health Services (DHS) in WA has been using all available media and resources to attract new clinical dental staff including advertising in overseas dental journals. Unfortunately, we have had very limited success so far, but we are continuing to try as we really appreciate the urgency of the needs of yourself and other people living in remote locations.

In some positive short-term news, DHS is using its own Perth-based dentists as well as locum dentists to address vacancies in country locations and can confirm that a locum dentist has been secured and is planned to be in Carnarvon for a four-week period in July 2023.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact Dr Stephanie Taylor, acting Regional Dental Officer – North on 08 9313 0555.

Kind regards,

Dr Theresa Marshall

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