Australia’s Federal Budget

By Sjögren’s Australia 21/5/26

Last week’s Federal Budget was heavily focused on easing cost of living pressures for Australians. While there were welcome announcements across health and social spending, one major area continues to sit on the sidelines of meaningful reform and that is Australian dental care.

For the Sjögren’s community oral health is not cosmetic. It is not optional. It is an essential part of managing a serious chronic autoimmune disease.

People living with Sjögren’s disease commonly experience severe dry mouth due to reduced saliva production. This can lead to rapid tooth decay, gum disease, oral infections, difficulty eating and speaking, and significant long-term dental complications. Many patients require ongoing preventative dental treatment simply to maintain basic oral health and quality of life.

Yet despite this dental care in Australia largely remains outside Medicare.

The Federal Government did announce permanent ongoing funding for public dental services for eligible adults as well as continued support for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule. On paper this appears positive. Certainty around funding is certainly preferable to repeated short term extensions.

However, when examined more closely the funding tells a different story.

Adult public dental funding has remained at roughly $107.8 million a year across recent budget cycles despite population growth, inflation and rising healthcare delivery costs.

In real terms many experts argue this amounts to a reduction in funding capacity. The result is predictable longer waiting lists, increasing pressure on public dental systems, and more Australians delaying or avoiding essential dental treatment because they simply cannot afford it.

For people living with chronic diseases like Sjögren’s delaying dental care is not a minor inconvenience. It can mean permanent damage to teeth and gums, increased infection risk, worsening nutrition, chronic pain, and reduced quality of life.

The budget did not include any major expansion of Medicare dental coverage. There was no

targeted support for people living with chronic illnesses that directly impact oral health, no Senior Dental Benefits Scheme, and no broad structural reform aimed at integrating oral health into mainstream healthcare policy.

Oral health is health. The mouth is not separate from the body. Poor oral health has well established links to broader systemic conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infection risk, and chronic inflammation. For autoimmune disease patients the consequences are often even more severe.

At Sjögren’s Australia, we believe access to essential dental care should not depend on income, geography, or whether someone can afford private health insurance.

Australians living with chronic diseases deserve healthcare systems that recognise the full impact of their conditions including oral health complications that can significantly affect daily life.

This budget may have taken small steps forward in maintaining existing dental programs but it stopped well short of the ambitious reform Australia needs.

For many people living with Sjögren’s disease and other chronic illnesses access to affordable dental care is not a luxury.

It is essential healthcare.