New Oral Care Alliance to lobby for national registration

A new organisation, the Australian Oral Care Alliance (AOCA), has been formed to fight for better access to oral health care for all Australians.

"We welcome the commitment by the Labor governments to invest in public dental programs," said AOCA spokes-person, Duncan Campbell, "however if the government is serious about improving dental services, they must put the National Registration of health professionals back on their agenda.

"Giving all oral health professionals the ability to deliver oral health services to their level of professional training and competence is a key aim of the AOCA.

"Registration recognises the high level of skill attained by members of the dental team but those skills and abilities are recognised differently from State to State. The Alliance wants uniform national recognition for all oral health professionals and direct access to patients when part of a dental team."

The alliance consists of peak bodies representing dental therapists, hygienists, prosthetists, technicians, laboratories and the industry. The founding members of the AOCA include:

• Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapists Association Inc (ADOHTA), the peak representative body for dental and oral health therapists;
• The Dental Hygienists' Association of Australia Inc (DHAA), the peak representative body for dental hygienists;
• Australian Dental Prosthetists Association (ADPA), the peak body representing dental prosthetists;
• SA Dental Technician Association Inc (in the absence of a National Body);
• Australian Commercial Dental Laboratories Association Inc (ACDLA) (currently transitioning to the Oral Health Professionals Association) who represent laboratory owners and dental technicians; and
• The Australian Dental Industry Association (ADIA), the peak body for suppliers of goods and services to dentistry.

"We call for the new Minister for Health and Ageing, Ms Nicola Roxon, to make a New Year's resolution to put National Registration of health professionals back on the Council of Australian Governments' agenda", Mr Campbell said.