Legislative Council Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Answers to Questions Dental Health Care Dental Health Care The Hon. S.L. GAME Legislative Council Dental Health Care In reply to the Hon. S.L. GAME ().22 February 2024). The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Attorney-General Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector Dental Health Care The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): The Minister for Health and Wellbeing has advised: SA Dental monitor the waiting list for dental treatment under general anaesthetic in the public dental service. SA Dental provide public dental services for all South Australian children under 18 years who live or go to school in South Australia, there are no waiting lists for general dental services at SA Dental clinics. As of 31 January 2024, the public waiting time was 7.5 months with 220 South Australian children under 18 years waiting for dental treatment under general anaesthetic in the public dental service. This does not account for dental treatment under general anaesthetic provided in the private sector. Dental caries are preventable and hospitalisation for dental treatment under general anaesthetic contributes to the high number of potentially preventable hospital admissions in South Australia. SA Dental delivers health promotion and screening programs to promote good oral health behaviour and encourage uptake of dental service from an early age. SA Dental is implementing a joint promotion campaign with the Australian Dental Association to address low utilisation of the commonwealth funded Child Dental Benefit Schedule; as of 2019 the Child Dental Benefit Schedule utilisation for South Australia was 46.3 per cent.