Medicare aimed at helping half a million Australians on the waiting list for more than two years because they could not afford the high cost of private dental treatment.

Senator Bob Brown, the party's leader, told reporters in Sydney that he wanted both Labor and the coalition to support the plan that he believes could save the government $2.3 billion in health costs.

If we can have mining booms, we can afford to have good dental health care in Australia, Sydney Morning Herald quoted Brown as saying.

Brown proposed the dental scheme in May but the government said it was not affordable and unpopular to dentists.

Australia Medicine