To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The Petition of residents of the state of Queensland draws to the attention of the House that long waiting lists for dental care are reaching intolerable levels. Since the Federal Government pulled out of the Commonwealth Dental Health Program at the end of 1996, the State have had to fill in the gap in public dental care. The practice of dentistry is currently regulated under the Queensland Dental Act 1971, with the extent and conditions under which allied oral health professionals are permitted to practice dentistry, being prescribed under the Dental By-law 1998. This dental legislation is currently under review to meet the Government’s obligation under National Competition Policy. Your petitioners therefore request the House to allow dental and oral health therapists to also treat adults rather than being restricted to children and youth under 18 years. If dental therapists perform the routine dental treatments, dentists’ time could be freed up for the more advanced and specialised treatments. For adults, dental and oral health therapists would only carry out treatment for which they have been trained, after an initial examination by a dentist and under prescription by a dentist.