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❓ Dr. Hames asks about waiting lists, times, costs, and subsidies for public dental services, specifically for general dental, dentures, and wisdom teeth removal. The answer provides detailed statistics for both metropolitan public dental clinics and the Oral Health Centre.

AnsweredQoN 460Legislative Assembly

Asked

11 October 2005

Member

Dr K.D. Hames

Portfolio

Health

QuestionView source ↗

(b) requiring dentures; and/or (c) requiring oral surgery for wisdom teeth?
(c) requiring oral surgery for wisdom teeth?
(b) dentures to be fitted; and (c) oral surgery to be performed for wisdom teeth?
(c) oral surgery to be performed for wisdom teeth?
(b) dentures; and (c) oral surgery for 4 wisdom teeth?
(c) oral surgery for 4 wisdom teeth?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

10 November 2005

Responded by

Minister for Health

Response time

30 days

(1) As at 30 September 2005 the metropolitan public dental clinics waiting list was: (a) 6,763 (b) 1,692 (c) Not applicable to Dental Health Services. As at 30 September 2005 the Oral Health Centre waitlist was: (a) 255. (b) There is no waiting list for dentures at the Oral Health Centre. (c) Waiting lists are not compiled specifically for wisdom teeth removal. There are multiple oral surgery waiting lists compiled by the Oral Health Centre. These are: i) oral surgery consultation (specific needs yet to be determined) - 589 ii) oral surgery under general anaesthetic (most of which is for removal of wisdom teeth) - 123 iii) oral surgery under local anaesthetic (which is not solely for wisdom teeth as it relates to the complex extraction of any tooth) - 2 (2) As at 30 September 2005 the metropolitan public dental clinic waiting time was: (a) 6.5 months (b) 9.4 months. (d)(c) Not applicable to Dental Health Services. As at 30 September 2005 the Oral Health Centre of Western Australia (OHCWA) waiting time was: (a) Approximately 8 months. (b) It is not possible to provide an average waiting time for the fitting of dentures. Patients electing to be treated by a student can often be seen almost immediately. Patients electing to be seen by a qualified dentist wait on average 8 months for their first appointment, but the time taken thereafter to construct and fit their dentures varies considerably depending on the patient's dental condition and other treatment needs. (c) If a patient's needs were ultimately agreed to be the removal of one or more wisdom teeth under general anaesthetic, the wait time would be: ii)i) from referral to consultation with the oral surgeon - 9 months and, iii)ii) from consultation to surgery (assuming the patient pays the relevant deposit immediately) 1 ? months (3) For the financial year 2004/2005 (a) Cost $2.721M pa Subsidy $1.923M pa (b) Cost $2.306M pa Subsidy $1.669M pa (d)(c) Not applicable to Dental Health Services Costs at OHCWA: (a) The level of subsidy depends on the type of benefit the patient receives. Most patients hold Healthcare or Pensioner Concession Cards and pay 25% of the fee prescribed in the Department of Veterans' Affairs Dental Fee Schedule, meaning the remainder of the relevant fee is met by the Government. (b) As per 3 (a) (c) As per 3 (a) (4) As at 30 September 2005 - 655 for Dental Health Services. OHCWA figures: not applicable (5) As at 7 October 2005 - 47 for Dental Health Services. OHCWA is not able to identify its patients by the categories requested.

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