In reply: Crocombe rightly points to the findings of the recent Health Workforce Australia report1 that Australia has a “more than sufficient dental workforce” but fails to note that the report states that this does not take account of the considerable unmet demand that exists, particularly in rural and lower socioeconomic areas. The problem of maldistribution remains.2
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- 1. Health Workforce Australia. Australia's future health workforce – oral health. Overview report. Canberra: HWA, 2014. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/3CFAE9DEE7BB7659CA257D9600143C09/$File/AFHW%20-%20Oral%20Health%20Overview%20report.pdf (accessed Apr 2015).
- 2. Tennant M, Kruger E, Shiyha J. Dentist-to-population and practice-to-population ratios: in a shortage environment with gross mal-distribution what should rural and remote communities focus their attention on? Rural Remote Health 203; 13: 2518. Epub 2013 Oct 7. http://www.rrh.org.au/articles/subviewnew.asp?ArticleID=2518 (accessed April 2015)
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