Rat burglary victim to get free new false teeth

It looks like there will be a happy ending to the story of an Australian woman who lost her false teeth to a cunning rat. Last week, Margaret Pidgeon, from Stonehenge in the west of Queensland, revealed a long-haired rat had taken her teeth, (audio), from a bedside shelf.



Residents in the region are coping with a rat plague due to lush conditions. The federal Member for Maranoa, Bruce Scott, says he has spoken to the Minister for Human Services Tanya Plibersek, and there is a Medicare entitlement to fund new dentures under "exceptional circumstances".

"Rats will get up to all sorts of things - they have an extraordinary capacity to carry all sorts of things to their little habitat," Mr Scott said. "That's why I'm pleased that this is a criteria under Medicare and I am just wanting to make sure that we're able to put Mrs Pidgeon in contact with somewhere where we can get these dentures replaced.



"Through chronic diseases criteria, particularly under exceptional circumstances where someone's physical health will be affected because of their dental health, there is an entitlement to receive financial support. This is an extraordinary case and I'm just wanting to make sure we can get the loose ends tied up and Mrs Pidgeon to a dentist where she can get her dentures replaced."