Dental experts have warned that already lengthy public dental wait times could worsen for vulnerable Gippslanders if the Carroll Labor Government is re-elected in November.
Labor has announced it will establish 10 new free public dental clinics across Victoria and will open these new clinics to all Victorians, rather than limiting access to people who are currently eligible for public dental care.
The Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch warned Labor’s plan to open public dental care to everyone could increase wait times for the more than two million low-income and vulnerable Victorians who are already eligible for public dental care.
The ADA reports that Victoria is already facing a shortage of public dentists with the number of full-time equivalent dentists employed in Victoria’s public dental system falling from 223.6 in 2018 to just 181.5 as at July 2026.
The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien said the warning was particularly concerning given the length of existing waiting lists across Gippsland.
Data obtained under Freedom of Information by the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch shows that, as at 1 July 2026, the average wait for community dental services is:
- 18.1 months in Gippsland South
- 24.1 months in Gippsland East
- 20.3 months in Bass
- 19.8 months in Morwell
- 19.8 months in Narracan
“Gippslanders are already waiting far longer than they should to access public dental care, so it is concerning to hear dental experts warn that Labor’s plan to open the system to everyone could make those waits even worse,” Mr O’Brien said.
“In Gippsland South, the average wait is more than a year and a half, while in Gippsland East it is more than two years.
“These are people who cannot afford private dental care waiting for basic treatment, often while dealing with pain and conditions that can become more serious if left untreated.
Mr O’Brien said he supported better access to affordable dental care but the Government needed to address the existing public dental crisis before expanding eligibility.
“The ADA has warned that opening public dental funding to everyone could mean even longer waitlists and that vulnerable Victorians who are already eligible for care could miss out.
“The question is how you can expand a system to everyone when it is already struggling to provide timely care to the people who need it most.
“Gippslanders need shorter waiting lists, not a system where the people most in need are pushed further down the queue.”