The Australian-The Nation Reports

THE number of students graduating in dentistry has fallen to levels not seen since the 1950s, leading to calls for a major boost in university funding.

With up to 650,000 people on waiting lists for publicly funded dental care, the Australian Dental Association yesterday attacked the Howard Government for failing to properly fund dental education.

And it warned that young dentists were now unwilling to work in the public sector because they needed the higher pay offered by the private sector to cover their massive student debts.

Health Minister Tony Abbott said the Government boosted the nation's dental schools by 148 places in 2004, with places to increase by 405 a year by 2009.

But ADA president Bill O'Reilly said inadequate funding meant the nation could not respond to the demand for dental services.

"Universities are training fewer dental students than in previous generations," Dr O'Reilly said.

"Graduation levels are one-third lower than in the 1970s, and are at their lowest level for over 50 years."

There were 56.2 dentists per 100,000 people in cities, but only 33.6 in regional areas and 22.9 in remote areas. And dental graduates were starting their careers with high levels of debt.

Mr Abbott said that in July the Government boosted its 2004 increase by a further 60 dental school places at the University of Sydney and Griffith University in Brisbane.

But Labor health spokeswoman Julia Gillard, speaking in Launceston, said people were waiting up to five years for publicly funded dental care.

"We don't have enough dentists and we don't have enough resources in public dental care so people can access a dentist when they need one," she said.