Felicity Ogilvie reported this story on Friday, April 22, 2016 12:29:00

KIM LANDERS: Well, as we wait for the federal budget, Tasmanian Independent MP Andrew Wilkie is putting pressure on the Government to keep funding a child dental health scheme.



The scheme provides free dental treatment for children from low income families, but the Government has yet to confirm whether it's going to keep it.



Felicity Ogilvie reports from Hobart.



FELICITY OGILVIE: The Child Dental Benefits Schedule allows parents on low incomes to take their children to the dentist.



But it's only used by 30 per cent of the children around Australia who are eligible.



The Federal Government won't say if it's going to keep the program.



But Tasmanian Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says the fact the scheme is underutilised is not a reason to get rid of it.



ANDREW WILKIE: Let's not focus on the funding might be there for 3 million, let's focus on the million children who do take advantage of this program.



You know, a million children a year, a thousand dollars a child, that's a billion dollars going into dental care for members of the community who can least afford to pay for it themselves or for the families that can least afford to pay for it themselves.



FELICITY OGILVIE: The program covers up to a thousand dollars worth of dental treatment for children over a two year period.



Hobart mother Takira Simon-Brown has been using the scheme to take her daughters to the dentist.



TAKIRA SIMON-BROWN: If the benefit was scrapped I would have difficulty in trying to pay for the cost of dental procedures for my children because they're very high in cost.



FELICITY OGILVIE: Would you still be able to take your children to the dentist?



TAKIRA SIMON-BROWN: No.



FELICITY OGILVIE: What has the scheme meant for you? What kind of life circumstance are you in?



TAKIRA SIMON-BROWN: With all the food products these days, they're very sugary so my children's teeth are always degrading so they do go to the dentist quite a bit for treatment.



FELICITY OGILVIE: An Associate Professor of oral health, Len Crocombe, says most Tasmanian children on the program go to see a public dentist.



He says cutting the scheme would put pressure on the state's public dental service.



LEN CROCOMBE: In Tasmania, 80 per cent of the children under this scheme go to the Oral Health Services Tasmania.



So if this is cut, this will have a significant effect on the provision of oral health care to all people in Tasmania who are on healthcare cards, not just the children but the parents as well.



And we do know that Tasmania has the poorest oral health of any state or territory in Australia.



FELICITY OGILVIE: Jessica Manuela is a dentist in private practice who has been seeing children under the scheme. She says unlike previous programs, this one helps her to follow up the patients.



JESSICA MANUELA: We've been able to build some rapport with these children who often come in a lot of pain because they've got dental infections which haven't been treated, been able to check their teeth, make treatment plans, and because of this scheme which actually allows $1,000, we can continue to do any required treatment with the child.



FELICITY OGILVIE: Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says the disadvantage in his home state is an example of why the national scheme should be kept.



ANDREW WILKIE: I think it is self-evident that in a state like this, with a lower average income, with poorer health outcomes, any government program that provides healthcare - in this case dental care - for kids of disadvantaged families; it will have a disproportionate impact in this state.



It will be bad nationally, it will be worse in Tasmania.



FELICITY OGILVIE: What proof do you have that the Government will actually cut this scheme?



ANDREW WILKIE: Well, the proof is, we're only a couple of months from the end of the financial year, we're only a couple of weeks from the federal budget, and despite repeated calls on the Government to commit to continue the funding, they have refused to give that commitment.



FELICITY OGILVIE: The Government still isn't saying what will happen to the dental scheme.



But a spokesperson for Health Minister, Sussan Ley, says the Government is committed to funding and improving the dental health of Australian children.



KIM LANDERS: Felicity Ogilvie reporting.