In Australia, dentistry is expensive. Most oral healthcare in Australia falls outside the universal healthcare insurance scheme. This brief outlines a clear, staged and evidence-based funding strategy to transition from ad hoc responses to a sustainable, equitable and high-value oral health system. It provides three recommendations.

The disease burden of dental caries among children is substantial. Children, particularly those under 10 years of age, experience a high rate of potentially preventable hospitalisations compared with other age groups. This is despite strong evidence that early risk assessment, timely and regular dental care can be less costly and more effective than usual models...

This paper presents findings from the 2009 national dental labour force data collection and explores trends since 2000. The collection includes all dentists (general dental practitioners and specialists), dental hygienists, dental therapists, oral health therapists and dental prosthetists across Australia. There was an overall increase in the number of dental professionals over this period. Dental...