National Oral Health Plan - Australian Dental Association

An Oral Health Plan for the 21st Century
Timeframe
Within each of its Action Areas, the Plan presents national actions to achieve:
▫ improvements in the short term, over the next two years (2004-2006);
▫ change in the medium term, to be pursued over the next five years (2004 to 2009); and
▫ more fundamental change in the longer term, to be pursued over the next ten years (to 2013)
To achieve results over the next five or ten years, implementation of many of these actions will need
to start as soon as possible. Monitoring and evaluation of the Plan will underpin continuing review and
incorporation of new priorities and areas of action, as appropriate.
A population health approach
Healthy Mouths Healthy Lives adopts a population health approach to oral health, in which the
programs, services and institutions of public health emphasise the prevention of disease and the health
needs of the population as a whole. 1 This approach has developed in response to growing recognition of
the importance of the social, economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health. A population
health approach aims to systematically:
▫ promote health and prevent and intervene early in the pathway to disease through strategies that
involve individuals, communities and whole societies;
▫ build individual and community capacity and provide enabling cultures and environments;
▫ provide a comprehensive range of high-quality, integrated health care services;
▫ reduce disparities in health status through equitable allocation of health resources and access to
health services.
The WHO has recognised the importance of addressing poverty and inequalities in health status as
a strategy for improving health overall (WHO 1995). A population health approach recognises,
nevertheless, that resources are limited and that choices must be made about which interventions can
be offered and to whom, and that resource allocation decisions must be based on evidence and explicit
values (Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care 2000).
Consistent with a population health approach, Healthy Mouths Healthy Lives proposes an integrated
approach involving public health and clinical services to maximise health outcomes, particularly for
those with poor oral health. In this model, the selection of cost-effective, evidence-based individual
and population interventions is influenced by an understanding of the oral and general health status
of communities, the determinants of oral health and disease, and effective points of intervention.
Demand for oral health care services will continue to grow, in response to population growth and
ageing, increased tooth retention into older age, greater awareness of the importance of oral health,
and more advanced restorative procedures and technologies. A population health approach offers a
way to manage this growing demand, utilising both public and private sector resources as effectively
as possible, and working across sectors and communities to maximise oral health gains and promote oral
health across the community.
Such an approach is consistent with national action across a wide range of health policy areas.
1
Australian Department of Health and Ageing
National Oral Health Plan
3