Free dental care in Victoria is an announcement I welcome because I understand what can happen when dental treatment feels beyond reach.
I have previously ended up in hospital because of dental problems. On another occasion, I resorted to tools from the garden shed to remove a troublesome tooth.
It was unsafe and desperate. I would never encourage anyone else to attempt it. However, when somebody is in unbearable pain and cannot access treatment, desperation can override better judgement.
Nobody should have to choose between living with dental pain, reaching for a credit card, draining their superannuation or attempting to treat themselves.
Labor’s Free Dental Care Promise
Premier Ben Carroll has promised 10 free public dental clinics if Labor wins the November state election.
The $230 million plan would establish seven clinics across Melbourne and three in regional Victoria. Every Victorian could access check-ups, fillings, root canals and extractions without an appointment.
Once operating, the clinics would treat more than 100,000 patients each year. Urgent cases involving pain, swelling or injury would receive priority.
According to ABC News, some clinics could open from July 2027. However, Labor has not confirmed when all 10 would operate. Their locations and workforce requirements also remain unknown.
The need is clear. Medicare does not cover dental treatment for most adults. Meanwhile, Victoria’s existing public system restricts adult access mainly to concession-card holders and priority groups.
The Australian Dental Association says Australians withdrew $817.6 million from superannuation for dental treatment during 2024–25. That figure increased from $526.4 million the previous year.
Free Dental Care in Victoria Must Be Accessible
The phrase “free dental care for every Victorian” makes a powerful election headline. In practice, it means every Victorian would be eligible. It does not guarantee immediate treatment.
Capacity for 100,000 patients would be significant. Yet Victoria has about seven million residents, so demand could easily exceed supply.
Labor must explain how the clinics will manage patients who need several appointments. It must also outline daily capacity, treatment limits and what happens when a clinic is full.
Furthermore, the government must explain who will staff the clinics. New services should expand public dental capacity, not draw workers away from existing clinics.
The $230 million commitment covers three years. Voters also deserve to know how the clinics would be funded after that period.
The Peninsula Must Not Miss Out
Labor says it will place the clinics in areas with the largest service gaps. Therefore, it should publish the evidence used to select each location.
Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula deserve serious consideration. Residents should not have to travel across metropolitan Melbourne to access a service promoted as available to everyone.
Local MPs and election candidates should state whether they will advocate for a clinic serving our region.
Taking an election promise with a grain of salt does not mean rejecting it. It means examining the costings, timetable and workforce plan before accepting the campaign headline.
Labor has identified a genuine problem and proposed a potentially important solution. Now it must show voters how it will turn that promise into dependable care.
Nobody should feel their only choices are enduring the pain, going into debt, ending up in hospital or walking into the garden shed.
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