Good oral health takes all of us

Author: Joanna Le, Co-Founder

This Dental Health Week, we’re celebrating some of the organisations helping Australians enjoy better oral health. 

Dental Health Week runs from 3-9 August 2026 and is the Australian Dental Association’s major annual oral health campaign. This year’s campaign focuses on young Australians aged 18-25, a stage of life when people often begin managing their own health, routines and budgets, sometimes while juggling study, work and moving away from home.  

Dental Health Week is an important reminder to care for our teeth and gums. At FRED, we also think it is an opportunity to recognise that good oral health does not happen through individual effort alone.

It takes supportive environments, accessible information, strong communities, trusted services and public policies that make healthy choices easier. 

That is why this Dental Health Week, we’re highlighting some of the excellent work happening across Australia to prevent oral disease, improve access to support and help people maintain their oral health throughout their lives. 

Health and Wellbeing Queensland: connecting oral and overall health 

Earlier this year, FRED collaborated with Health and Wellbeing Queensland to explain why our mouths cannot be separated from the rest of our bodies. 

Our article, A happy mouth is a happy life, explores the links between oral health and chronic conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and respiratory illness. It also shares simple actions that support both oral and overall health, from drinking water and reducing frequent exposure to sugar, to keeping up everyday brushing and interdental cleaning routines. 

The Healing Foundation: supporting culturally safe care 

For many people, feeling safe and respected is fundamental to accessing health care. 

The Healing Foundation has worked with Stolen Generations survivors and peak health and aged care bodies to develop practical oral health guidance for GPs, dental professionals and aged care services. 

These resources explain how services can provide trauma-aware and culturally safe care, recognising that some survivors avoid health services because previous institutional experiences can trigger trauma or cause further harm. The work of the Foundation reminds us that improving oral health access involves more than making services available. People must also feel safe, heard and supported when they use them. 

Consumers Health Forum of Australia: listening to people’s experiences 

Good oral health support must reflect what people actually experience when they try to access care. 

Earlier this year, the Consumers Health Forum of Australia surveyed health consumers about how they navigate oral health and dental care. Its report found that out-of-pocket dental costs are placing significant financial strain on people and contributing to delayed care and inequitable access.

Eight in ten survey participants reported some financial strain from dental costs, while one in eight reported serious strain affecting their ability to pay for essentials. Advocacy like this ensures consumer voices are heard when decisions about dental funding and reform are being made. 

Food for Health Alliance: creating healthier environments 

Our oral health is shaped partly by the food and drink environments around us. 

The Food for Health Alliance advocates for government action to improve diets and protect children from unhealthy food and drink marketing. Its campaigns include Brands Off Our Kids, which calls for stronger regulation across digital media, broadcasting, public spaces and retail environments.  

The Alliance also supports policies addressing sugary drinks, one of the largest sources of added sugar in Australian diets. This matters for oral health because preventing disease cannot rest entirely on people navigating environments designed to encourage frequent consumption of heavily marketed, high-sugar products. Governments can help create environments that support healthy teeth, bodies and communities. 

NCOSS: mapping dental deserts across NSW 

Where people live continues to shape whether they can access preventive dental care. 

In 2025, the NSW Council of Social Service released Prevention Pays: Cutting the cost of dental hospitalisations. The research mapped “dental deserts”, or communities located more than 25 kilometers from a dentist, and highlighted major gaps in preventive and early intervention care across regional and remote NSW. These communities may be hundreds of kilometres from the nearest clinic, increasing the likelihood that manageable oral health problems become painful, complex and expensive. 

This research strengthens the case for governments to invest in rural services, outreach programs, workforce solutions and digital health tools that can connect people with trusted preventive information wherever they live. 

Preventive Health SA: making the science easier to understand 

Last week we shared new content about sugar sweetened drinks, developed in collaboration with Preventive Health SA. 

Our first article, The anatomy of a soft drink, looks beyond the sugar in soft drinks to explain how acids, patterns of consumption and the mouth’s natural protective systems interact. It helps people understand not only what can affect their teeth, but why. We also developed supporting social media content to reach more people with this important preventive oral health information. 

Royal Flying Doctor Service: taking care to communities 

The Royal Flying Doctor Service brings essential dental care to communities where distance, workforce shortages and limited local services create major barriers. 

Its mobile and outreach dental teams travel to rural and remote communities to provide preventive care and treatment, often reaching people who would otherwise need to travel long distances or go without care. The RFDS demonstrates the value of combining clinical services with local relationships, education and a deep understanding of the communities it serves. 

A growing movement for change 

These are only some of the organisations contributing to better oral health in Australia: 

• The Australian Dental Association provides a wide range of evidence-based public information, including free factsheets for health services and translated resources.  

• The Indigenous Dental Association Australia is the peak body for Indigenous dental health in Australia, supporting First Nations Australian oral health students and practitioners. 

• The National Oral Health Alliance brings consumer, health and professional organisations together to advocate for effective prevention and better access to care. 

• HEAL- Oral Health integrates multidisciplinary epidemiology and policy research with strategic advocacy to advance population-level oral health equity. 

• Professor Matt Hopcraft’s Dental As Anything Substack and podcast shares accessible commentary and conversations about dentistry, public health, workforce challenges and reform.  

Every organisation approaches oral health from a different perspective. Together, their work shows that improving oral health requires action across public policy, health promotion, community services, research, advocacy and clinical care. 

At FRED, our vision is a future where all Australians enjoy good oral health and the many benefits it brings. We believe everyone should have access to evidence-based information and support to maintain their oral health throughout life, no matter who they are or where they live.  

This Dental Health Week, we thank the many people and organisations helping bring that future closer. 

Because good oral health takes all of us.