The Bendigo Advertiser has reported the waiting time for general care through Bendigo Health's public dental clinic in April was 5.1 months, while Maryborough's - the longest in the region - was 36.5 months. Statewide, the average was 20.3 months.

For several months last year, two oral health therapists from Bendigo Health would regularly visit Maryborough to see patients in a bid to drive down its waiting list.

Now there is a waiting list share initiative between the two services, which means patients able to travel to Bendigo can be seen there, rather than stay on the waiting list.

Bendigo Health's manager of dental services, Kath Basilewsky, said the service had seen 61 patients from Maryborough's list so far.

Anne Watson, the manager of primary and preventative health at Maryborough District Health Service, said patients in Maryborough were always informed they could be seen in Bendigo.

There were plans to initiate similar relationships with other public dental services in the region, Mrs Basilewsky said.

She said a focus on preventative dental care was a major reason why Bendigo's public dental waiting times were so much lower than much of the state.

The shift in focus to prevention was made several years ago, she said, with patients now receiving an orientation that includes information on maintaining their oral health and accessing the public services.

Mrs Basilewsky said the service ran outreach programs in schools, early childhood centres, and places where they could reach more vulnerable members of the community.

Now, she said, the waiting time sat at four months.

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Bendigo Health's service had also introduced a different way of managing emergency patients, Mrs Basilewsky said, by keeping slots free each day for patients in need of emergency dental care - much the same way GP clinics keep emergency appointments open.

Part of the reason Bendigo enjoyed shorter waiting times than other parts of the region is also because of the workforce.

Mrs Basilewsky said it was a problem in places like Maryborough to attract clinical specialists.

More early-career staff also went to Bendigo, she said, because it had a good supervision structure.

Mrs Basilewsky said it was often less attractive for people to move to areas where they would be the only clinician and pay was higher in private settings, which was an ongoing challenge in the effort to retain staff.

Ms Watson confirmed Maryborough often encountered difficulty in recruiting dentists.

This meant there were often periods of time in which there was no dentist at the service, Ms Watson said, although any patients in need of emergency care were always treated through referral to private dentists, at no extra cost.

"We do make sure the people who need care, get care," she said.

Ms Watson said the Maryborough service also undertook a large amount of screening at schools and preschools, to ensure children began their lives with good oral health.

She said the service also worked with families on education and screening.

Earlier this year, the authors of a Grattan Institute report said the Commonwealth government should fund a universal primary dental care scheme, arguing the health of the mouth should be treated no differently to that of the rest of the body.

All children aged 0 to 12 can access public dental care.

For those aged 13 to 17, they are only eligible if they hold a healthcare or pensioner concession card, or their parent or guardian holds one of those cards.

The same applies to adults.

All children and young people aged up to 18 in out-of-home care provided by the government are also eligible, as are those in the custody of Youth Justice.

All refugees and asylum seekers can also access public dental care.

Certain people also have priority access to dental care, meaning they are not placed on the general waiting list.

These people are Indigenous Victorians, children and young people, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, people who are pregnant, refugees and asylum seekers, and people registered with mental health and disability services.