Asking for free dental care is like pulling teeth. But we still need to do it

September 30, 2026 — 5:00am

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A few weeks ago, I was struggling to open my mouth more than one or two centimetres.

My jaw was locked on one side, and I was starting to lose a bit of hearing in my right ear … all thanks to a wisdom tooth which had decided – rather selfishly – to erupt at an awkward angle.

I discovered I had this wisdom tooth when it caused a canker sore and prompted me to count, rather awkwardly, the number of teeth in my mouth while sitting on a bus last year.

Realising an extraction would cost several hundred dollars – and that the discomfort went away (at least temporarily), I put it off. Last month, though, I very nearly bit the bullet: the tooth had, once again, caused a sore. And this time, it seemed a bit worse, causing stiffening in my jaw.

My job requires a lot of talking – and I’m quite the yapper in my personal life – so limited jaw mobility was less than ideal.

Dental care is one of those things that most can’t live without. Yet, it’s not covered by Medicare, meaning only some, including children and concession cardholders, can access it free.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data show that in 2024-25, one-quarter of adults who needed to see a dental professional did not see one, or delayed seeing one, at least once in the previous 12 months.

The problem was........

© Brisbane Times