| The dental health crisis – Why Australians are now beginning to smile |
 Dental health waiting lists have now reached a crisis point in Australia. According to the Health Services Union, over 650,000 people are waiting for over three years on public dental health lists. In Portland, Victoria, the wait is 68 months.* Of the 650,000 on all waiting lists, only 11% per year will actually receive treatment. Fortunately for Jackson Jessup, who was on the public waiting list in South Australia, he was selected to be a recipient of the Give a Smile™ program Give a Smile™ was established in June 2005 by the Australian Society of Orthodontists as a health initiative where ASO members – specialist orthodontists - provide orthodontic treatment to Australians who are on the public dental waiting lists around the country. Close to 60% of all ASO members are now part of the Give a Smile™ program and donate their time, expertise and services to those individuals and families who could not otherwise access private orthodontic care. Since the beginning of 2006 more than 200 Australian children have become Give a Smile™ patients and have commenced their orthodontic treatment – treatment which would normally cost around $5-7,000. Give a Smile™ orthodontists charge no fee for this treatment. In August 2005, fifteen-year old Jackson from Clarence Park, SA began his orthodontic treatment under the Give a Smile™ program. At that time, Jackson had such severe problems with his teeth that he was having difficulties sleeping, eating and talking. Whilst the physiological problems Jackson was facing were hard enough, the sociological taunts Jackson received at school were equally, if not more upsetting. Two years on, Jackson has completed his orthodontic treatment and is the first patient in Australia to have completed his treatment under the Give a Smile™ program. Jackson’s Mother Kim said that transformation is incredible: “My son hasn’t stopped smiling. The difference has been unbelievable. Jackson is so much happier now he has increased confidence, has made more friends and simply seems to be really enjoying life at the moment.” |
