The causes of the causes: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander oral health and the neoliberalisation of Australia’s dental health system

Oral disease is a direct reflection of societal disadvantage and is arguably a more visible representation of one’s social position than any other trait. The disparities in oral health outcomes established by colonisation are perpetuated and widened by neoliberalism in Australia operate through insidious pathways of social marginalisation. Australia’s fractured dental health system focused on privatisation, decreased social welfare, and individual responsibility continues to inadequately meet the oral health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Poor oral health in Australia is not restricted to those experiencing ‘poverty’ as understood within a dichotomous paradigm but also by the working poor. Exploring the ways in which neoliberalism has contributed to the establishment of Australia’s working poor, as exemplified by the case of Aboriginal Health Workers/Practitioners, allows us to widen our understanding of how neoliberal austerity and individualism is affecting the oral health of low-wage workers. We are compelled to critically examine how structural forces maintain power imbalances and health inequities to progress beyond an individualistic narrative and explore alternative pathways to oral health sovereignty for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.