My name is Rachelle Johnson and I am Tasmania’s first independent Dental Hygienist, currently practising in Ulverstone, Tasmania. I am also a veteran having served in the Royal Australian Navy. 

In July 2022, legislative changes granted all registered dental practitioners the right to independent practice. Since then, we have seen increased access and affordability for patients, particularly in rural and regional communities, through direct, prevention-focused oral health care.

In March 2023, the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) was most recently updated to expand allied health access for children and young people, but dental hygienists, oral health therapists and dental therapists were not included. This continues a long-standing and unjustified exclusion from the Medicare-recognised allied health workforce.

As of 2024, all private health funds now support rebates for patients seeing independent dental practitioners, marking a major shift in health accessibility. Yet, key systemic barriers remain, and they disproportionately disadvantage Tasmanians:

• Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) does not allow eligible patients to access care from independent dental practitioners, despite clinical equivalence.
• Medicare Chronic Disease GP Management Plans (GPMPs) do not recognise dental hygienists as contributors to chronic disease prevention, despite robust evidence linking oral disease to systemic health.
• We remain excluded from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as recognised providers, limiting care access for individuals with disability-related oral health needs.

The 2024–2025 Federal Budget failed to address these gaps, a missed opportunity to formally integrate oral health into primary care.

Dental hygienists, oral health therapists, and dental therapists are highly trained to deliver preventive care, patient education and chronic disease risk reduction. Their services directly support improved health outcomes in:

• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular and respiratory disease
• Pregnancy
• Aged care and frailty

What Australia Needs:

• Formal integration of independent dental practitioners into Medicare-recognised allied health services
• Eligibility for referral under GPMPs and multidisciplinary care plans
• Inclusion in DVA and NDIS frameworks
• Recognition of the cost-saving and health-enhancing role of prevention

I would strongly support the establishment of a pilot program in Tasmania to demonstrate the value of integrated, preventive oral health services delivered in partnership with GPs and allied health professionals. Such a model would reduce hospital burden, improve chronic disease management, and strengthen community health outcomes.