00:00Pensioner Vicki McCaig can now brush her teeth without pain.
00:06For two years, the 71-year-old grandmother couldn't afford to see a dentist.
00:12You never have that much money to play around with, so my teeth wasn't a priority.
00:18I was getting lots of pain, lots of sensitivity in my gums and bleeding.
00:25Luckily, Vicki was accepted into a trial of a senior's dental benefits scheme.
00:30Her teeth were fixed for free and she avoided a trip to hospital.
00:35Extremely lucky. I mean, how many times has something like this offered?
00:39That's looking very good around there.
00:41The Australian Dental Association is calling on the government
00:44to introduce a senior's dental benefits scheme.
00:47Anybody on a health care card or pension card that's over 65 years old
00:51is able to access a government-funded scheme,
00:54similar to the child dental scheme that's running at the moment.
00:56About 16,000 over-65s are hospitalised each year for dental treatment
01:02and that's predicted to rise to almost 23,000 by 2028.
01:07The idea of a senior's dental benefits scheme isn't new.
01:10It was recommended by the Aged Care Royal Commission.
01:13But years later, and with the cost of living rising, there's still been no commitment.
01:18The Federal Health Minister says there's no plans to change the way dental's funded any time soon.
01:23It's desperate and it's been desperate for decades.
01:26Dental photos of nursing home patients graphically demonstrate the problem.
01:30I am seeing years of neglect prior to people entering aged care facilities
01:34and the sad thing is nearly all of it can be prevented.
01:37Avoiding pain and poor health.
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