The Australian Dental Association NSW (ADA NSW) says the 2026-27 NSW State Budget represents a step backwards for oral health visibility and dedicated investment, despite delivering record funding for the state’s healthcare system.
While the NSW government has committed an additional $10.3 billion to health over the next four years and announced approximately 9,000 additional health workers, there are no major new oral health initiatives or dedicated dental funding programs in this year’s budget.
ADA NSW President, Dr Mark Morrin, said the lack of new oral health investment was particularly disappointing given the government’s stronger focus on dental care in last year’s budget.
‘Last year’s NSW State Budget recognised oral health as an important component of preventive healthcare, including a $37.5 million investment to expand mobile dental services across NSW. This year’s budget contains no comparable new dental initiatives despite record health spending,’ Dr Morrin said.
‘Oral health appears to have slipped down the priority list at a time when many vulnerable people continue to face barriers accessing dental care and public dental services remain under pressure.’
Commitments
The two oral health-specific commitments identified in the 2026-27 Budget papers are:
- Continued free dental care for children through the NSW Health Primary School Mobile Dental Clinics program.
- $137.5 million to extend the Federation Funding Agreement Schedule on Public Dental Services for Adults, supporting ongoing care for eligible patients.
Dr Morrin said both initiatives were important, but represented the continuation of existing programs rather than new investment designed to improve oral health outcomes.
The ADA NSW welcomes continued support for children’s dental services and public dental care for eligible adults, but maintaining existing programs should not be confused with expanding access to care or addressing growing demand.
‘The ADA NSW had hoped this budget was a new opportunity to strengthen oral health services and reduce future pressure on hospitals through prevention and early intervention. Unfortunately, that opportunity was not realised in the latest NSW State Budget handed down yesterday.’
Oral health missing
ADA NSW is also concerned that oral health has been excluded from the NSW government’s 2026–27 Performance and Wellbeing Statement, released alongside the budget. The statement tracks a wide range of health and wellbeing indicators, including smoking and vaping rates, cancer screening participation and other measures of community health. However, it contains no oral health measures or indicators.
Dr Morrin said the omission raised concerns about whether oral health is receiving the attention it deserves within broader health policy.
‘The absence of oral health from the government’s wellbeing framework is disappointing and suggests there remains a lack of recognition of the important connection between oral health and overall wellbeing.
‘What gets measured gets prioritised,’ he said. ‘If oral health isn’t being measured as part of the NSW’s wellbeing indicators, there is a risk it won’t receive the policy attention and investment it requires.’
ADA NSW is calling on the NSW government to provide greater transparency around how much of the additional healthcare funding announced in the budget will be directed towards oral health services.
‘It remains unclear how much of that funding will support dental services, workforce growth, prevention programs or reducing the state’s public dental waiting lists, which sit at 100,000 patients.
‘Investment in oral health is not simply about teeth. It is an investment in prevention, wellbeing and reducing avoidable demand on the broader health system,’ Dr Morrin.
