Extract from The Guardian
Low-income families in New South Wales are struggling to access dental services, a new survey has found, prompting warnings that bad teeth have become a “badge of poverty”.
The NSW Council of Social Service (Ncoss) surveyed 417 people either in or near poverty, focusing particularly on those on Newstart, the age pension, parenting payments, or youth allowance.
About 40% said they could not afford to see a dentist. It has prompted Ncoss to call on the NSW government to invest $25m into oral health services to improve access and reduce inequality.
The Ncoss chief executive, Tracy Howe, said oral health had actually become a luxury item for many low-income families.
Howe said bad oral health could not only lead to further medical problems but could also be a barrier to employment or accessing rental properties.
“It’s like a badge of poverty,” she said. “It sends that message and people are totally prejudiced. I know it sounds like its just a cosmetic thing but that cosmetic thing is the interface with the public.”
The respondents listed quality healthcare as their No 1 priority for the state and 67% said timely access to dental care would make a big difference in their lives.
Roughly half said they could not access the health services or medication they needed due to cost.
The NSW Council of Social Service (Ncoss) surveyed 417 people either in or near poverty, focusing particularly on those on Newstart, the age pension, parenting payments, or youth allowance.
About 40% said they could not afford to see a dentist. It has prompted Ncoss to call on the NSW government to invest $25m into oral health services to improve access and reduce inequality.
The Ncoss chief executive, Tracy Howe, said oral health had actually become a luxury item for many low-income families.
Howe said bad oral health could not only lead to further medical problems but could also be a barrier to employment or accessing rental properties.
“It’s like a badge of poverty,” she said. “It sends that message and people are totally prejudiced. I know it sounds like its just a cosmetic thing but that cosmetic thing is the interface with the public.”
The respondents listed quality healthcare as their No 1 priority for the state and 67% said timely access to dental care would make a big difference in their lives.
Roughly half said they could not access the health services or medication they needed due to cost.
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