Tasmania has long had the worst adult oral health in the country, with a relatively low number of dentists compared with other states.

Australian Dental Association Tasmania branch president Nadia Dobromilsky said dental disease was a ``silent epidemic'', largely caused by a lack of access and affordability. ``The other issue in Tasmania is we don't have any after-hours public dentistry _ there is no funding to supply a dentist on the weekend or in the evening time and they're the only ones who can fix a toothache or a broken tooth after hours,'' she said.

Ms Dobromilsky said the lack of affordable access was placing a strain on hospitals and general practitioners.

``I would say that on a daily basis you have emergency clinics and GP clinics full of dental patients because patients cannot afford dental care,'' she said.

``It is a cost and a burden on the emergency departments, the GP clinics and also pharmaceuticals because that is the main way that a non-dental professional can treat oral disease _ via antibiotics and pharmaceuticals.

``So you have got this huge cost or waste of money compared to if the patients were able to go directly and get their problem fixed by a dental professional.''

She said many dental issues could not be treated by general practitioners and emergency departments, with untreated dental problems leading to a wider range of health problems.

``It is linked to chronic heart disease, diabetes, low birth-weight children and there are some casual links between other diseases,'' she said. ``People aren't getting regular, good dental care and that is adversely affecting their cardiovascular disease, their diabetes and their general health.''

The state government declined to comment yesterday.