National Oral Health Plan - Australian Dental Association

Executive Summary
and general health care. At the same time, the oral health professions require a critical mass to support
expertise, education and development across practitioner groups. The Plan argues for strong oral health
professions with increased numbers of all types of oral health practitioners together with a vibrant and
dynamic dental education sector, to support the oral and general health needs of all Australians.
Within an overarching population health framework, the Plan identifies seven interrelated areas for
action, as set out in the figure below:
Action Area One:
Promoting Oral Health Across The Population
Action Area Two:
Children &
Adolescents
Action Area Three:
Older People
Action Area Four:
Low Income
& Social
Disadvantage
Action Area Five:
People With
Special Needs
Action Area Six:
Aboriginal &
Torres Strait
Islander Peoples
Action Area Seven:
Workforce
The Action Areas are not ranked in order of priority: all are of high priority in improving the oral health
of Australians. Within each Action Area, 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).
Actions across the seven Action Areas work to provide a sound policy base for oral health; promote
health in the community and build community and health workforce capacity to achieve this; identify
people with or at risk of oral disease, for effective management; improve access to affordable,
preventively focused oral health services; overcome the shortage and improve the distribution of oral
health practitioners; build the skill base of the oral health workforce and the capacity of the dental
education sector; and improve the availability of information for planning.
To achieve results over the next five to 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.
Implementation of most National Actions will require the involvement of a broad range of stakeholders.
For example, any increase in training of oral health providers would need to involve the States and
Territories, the Commonwealth and the tertiary dental education sector. The source/s of funds for
implementation of the National Actions will be a matter for resolution by the various stakeholders.
The Plan comprises a set of interrelated National Actions which collectively will ensure improvement in
the oral health status and general health of the Australian community.
National Oral Health Plan
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