Why oral health belongs in allied health conversations

Author: Joanna Le, Co-Founder

Our team was pleased to attend the 2026 ACT Allied Health Symposium in Canberra this week, hosted by the Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer.

This year’s theme was “Advancing Allied Health”, and the program showcased allied health professionals and assistants leading research, innovation, quality improvement, education, workforce development and community-based care.

For FRED, it was a wonderful opportunity to talk with allied health professionals about preventive oral health.

Allied health professionals are often right there with people in the moments where oral health matters most, and they regularly see the impacts of oral ill-health.

Across the allied health workforce, oral health shows up in many different ways.

A dietitian may support someone who is struggling to eat well because of mouth pain, missing teeth or dry mouth.

A speech pathologist may work with someone whose swallowing, speech or communication is affected by oral health issues. 

An occupational therapist may support daily routines, including toothbrushing and self-care.

A social worker may help someone navigate cost, fear, transport, trauma, housing stress or other barriers to care. 

A physiotherapist, psychologist, allied health assistant or community-based practitioner may work with someone whose oral health is affecting their confidence, social connection, pain, mental health or quality of life.

Oral disease can affect dignity, wellbeing, nutrition, sleep, communication, confidence and participation. It can also increase pressure on health and community services when problems escalate into pain, infection or hospitalisation.

At FRED, we believe everyone should have access to simple, evidence-based oral health information and support.

That support does not always need to start in a dental clinic.

It can start in a trusted conversation with a health professional.

It can start when someone is supported to notice a change in their mouth.

It can start when a worker gently asks about pain, dry mouth, eating, brushing, fear or barriers to care.

It can start when someone receives practical, shame-free information that helps them take one small step towards improving their oral health.

This is where allied health professionals can play such an important role.

We are interested in how allied health professionals can be supported to provide simple preventive messages, identify when someone may need extra support, and connect people with the right information or services earlier.

One of the things FRED did at the Symposium was invite attendees to complete a short 90-second survey.

We wanted to hear directly from allied health professionals and assistants about the challenges they face when it comes to oral health in their work.

What oral health issues are they seeing? What conversations feel easy, and what feels hard? What resources would help? What training would be useful? What barriers do they see for the people they support?

These answers will help shape the design of our future resources and training for allied health and community services professionals.

The Symposium program highlighted the breadth and depth of allied health practice, from service delivery and community-based care to education, supervision, quality improvement and workforce development.

That breadth is exactly why allied health has such an important role to play in prevention.

Allied health professionals see the whole person. They understand that health is shaped by daily life, environment, relationships, access, confidence, culture, trauma, disability, ageing, work, family and community.

That perspective is essential if we want to improve oral health equity.

Preventive oral health support needs to be practical, strengths-based, trauma-informed and connected to the services people already know and trust.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with FRED at the ACT Allied Health Symposium.

We loved hearing about your work, your clients, your challenges and your ideas. We are especially grateful to everyone who completed our short survey.

Your insights will help us build resources and training that are useful, realistic and grounded in the everyday work of allied health professionals.