Greens MP Lee Rhiannon and representatives from the Rural Dental Action Group, the Greater Western Area Health Service, Charles Sturt University, the Australian Dental Prosthetists Association, the Australian Dental Association and Orange City Council attended the forum.

Marj Bollinger from the Rural Dental Action Group said people waiting for dentures faced social and health problems.

“The forum was held to focus on reducing the waiting times for people in need of dentures. It is a problem for a lot more people than I was previously aware of,” she said.

Mrs Bollinger said identifying a specific waiting period was difficult, with patients prioritised according to their immediate need for help.

GWAHS area manager of oral health services Jenny Floyd said work was being done to reduce waiting times.

“If we have to take their teeth out as part of their treatment plan we’re aiming to get them referred on to have dentures within a few months. We’ve spent an increased amount on vouchers so people can go to a prosthetist. We have the NSW International Dental Graduate program in Orange so they’re seeing extra patients,” she said.

Ms Floyd said the problem was worse in areas of low socioeconomic status and in those places which did not yet have fluoride in their water supply or were late to get fluoride.