Awards for Excellence in Dental Journalism – apply within

Applications for the Australian Dental Association Inc. (ADA)'s Excellence in Dental Journalism 2015 Awards are open and are closing soon.

The Awards are for dental journalism published in Australia through public print, television or radio in the two years prior to 31 December 2014. Two separate Awards are granted: one for electronic media and another for print media. Award recipients will receive a sum of $5,000 each.

Dr Karin Alexander, Federal President of the ADA said, "The media does a fine job in reporting issues of public interest to the Australian people. This Award represents a further opportunity to acknowledge the good work done to improve the public's awareness of the importance of oral health care.

"While Australia's health care system is one of the best in the world, there is a still a sizeable gap in outcomes when it comes to Australians' oral health, particularly for those who experience disadvantage. Dental decay and gum disease are the most common adverse health conditions in Australia; and policy makers are confronted with challenges relating to oral health promotion and education, dental workforce oversupply, and how to efficiently target scarce government resources to those who truly need assistance getting dental care.

"The ADA's baby teeth, mouthguard awareness and teeth whitening campaigns, its annual Dental Health Week (4–10 August this year), do their part in oral health promotion and awareness. Through this Award, we seek the media's support to further improve the public's awareness of oral health issues impacting all Australians."

Dr Alexander acknowledged that journalism plays a significant role in not only informing the public, but in ensuring that oral health issues are placed on the government agenda.

"The media has played no small part in ensuring that oral health issues have formed part of the national conversation in recent years. The ADA hopes this focus continues so that governments take real action to help needy Australians access dental care", Dr Alexander concluded.

Nominations close on 31 December 2014. Details for the Award can be found at: http://www.ada.org.au/dentaljournalismaward2015.aspx.

The President of the ADA will present the recipients with the Awards at the upcoming 36th Australian Dental Congress (ADC) in March 2015.