There has been plenty of recent activity in the Advocacy Space. Last week during Dental Health Week, ADIA held its second Adelaide Dental Symposium and hosted a South Australian Dental Service key stakeholder, Ms Kristy Nixon. Kym De Britt, CEO provided a guided tour of the Exhibition, showcasing our members' innovative technology, that is facilitating dental treatment outside of traditional dental clinics, including mobile dental carts, scanners and 3D printers.

In other news, ADIA has been met with several other dental sector association leaders, including Nathan Clarke, the CEO of the newly-formed Oral Health Association of Australia (OHAA). OHAA has formed from the merger of Dental Hygienists Association of Australia (DHAA) and the Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapists Association (ADOHTA). In addition, ADIA participated in final workshop for the development of the next National Oral Health Plan which sets out the strategic focus for improvements in Australia’s oral health over the next decade.

ADIA has partnered with Colgate on two projects to raise the awareness of the Child Dental Benefits Schedule to eligible families. Firstly, including our ADIA CDBS Information brochures in Foodbank NSW School Breakfast Hampers (pictured) and also within G8 Early Learning Centres.

Our Director of Policy and Education, Dr Sarah Raphael and Technical Team member, Dr Joanne Challinor-Rogers participated in the Medical Technology Association of Australia, Regulatory Summit in July. To catch the regulatory information from the summit, which included global and TGA presenters, as well as news from the forthcoming TGA Regulatory and Technical Forum, join the Technical Forum at 1pm on Tuesday 2nd September. Register here

To get involved in ADIA Advocacy or share your thoughts and ideas, please contact Dr Sarah Raphael by emailingsarah.raphael@adia.org.au

STANDARDS AUSTRALIA CONSULTATION: DR AS/NZS 5369:2023 AMENDMENT

Standards Australia have a current consultation open until 22 September 2025 on amendments to:

DR AS/NZS 5369:2023 Reprocessing of reusable medical devices and other devices in health and non-health related facilities.

These amendments are centred on updates that result from the amendment of ISO 11139:2018/Amd 1:2024, 3.214.2 including impacts on sterilzation processes and process challenge devices.

To review the proposed amendment to the Standard, you are required register with Standards Australia. All comments are made online via the consultation portal.

Please follow these steps to provide your feedback.

Register and Log in

1. Visit Standards Australia
2. Hover on Committee Access - the blue heading on the top right of the menu bar.
3. Click on Public Comment where the list of open consultations will be listed.
4. Type "5369" in the Search Drafts bar.
5. If you are registered for Standards Australia - log on here. If you are not registered you can follow the prompts to register.

Providing feedback

Once you have registered and logged in:

1. Click on DR AS/NZS 5369:2023 Amd 1:2025.
2. Comments can be made throughout the sections of the document by either:

• Clicking the sections on the Table of Contents; or
• By using the Previous and Next buttons on the top right corner; or
• Comments can be made by clicking on the Add Comment button at the end of each section.
• Alternately, general comments can be made at the bottom of the "Draft Details" page.

Need help?

Additional help is available at the Help Guide to assist in navigating the Public Comment Portal.

If you require further information please email ADIA Director of Policy and Education, Dr Sarah Raphael

Most recently working in senior management at the Australian Dental Association NSW, Sarah was instrumental in steering advocacy and volunteerism within the profession and community. In her role as Engagement and Advocacy Executive, Sarah was responsible for driving improvements in the areas of community water fluoridation, aged care, rural and remote health and developed and fostered key relationships with government and external stakeholders. As General Manager of Filling the Gap charity, that provides pro bono dental services for disadvantaged people, Sarah grew the organisation, developing the first strategic plan, securing government and industry partnerships, private funding and working towards ensuring the sustainability of the pro bono dental programs offered in NSW and the ACT.

With Sarah’s return to the dental industry, she will draw upon her experience, having consulted for over a decade with Colgate Oral Care, Australia. She is thrilled to be able to join ADIA where she will continue to drive their advocacy priorities. Sarah’s vision for the future to enable the next generation of health professionals to make a meaningful difference and to continue advocating for equity of access to health in our community is well-aligned with the mission and values of ADIA.

If you would like any more information or have any questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to do so by email.