Oral health and access to dental care - older adults in Australia

This report provides information on aspects of oral health and use of dental services among community-dwelling older adults in Australia. Historically, the majority of older adults were edentulous (no natural teeth), leading to low demand for dental services. Currently the population of older adults is increasing in number, with a greater proportion retaining their teeth, consequently increasing their requirement for dental services. A high proportion of older adults are government concession card holders, and may be at a disadvantage in accessing dental care due to the lack of public oral health facilities and increased length of waiting lists.