Oral cancer affects over 900 Australians each year, according to the Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre, yet one leading dental body asserts that it remains one of the least-understood diseases in Australia.

Knowing the signs of oral cancer and spotting it quickly are the key, according to Australian Dental Association (ADA) Oral Health Committee chairman Dr Peter Alldritt.

"Every day, at least three Australians are being diagnosed with oral cancer," Dr Alldritt said.

When was the last time you had yourself checked for signs of melanoma?

A recent study has found nearly half of Australians have not been checked for skin cancer over the last five years.

The results are concerning when you consider that Australians have the highest incidence rate of skin cancer in the developed world, and doctors are pleading for people to show more awareness for the deadly condition.

The survey, carried out by Canstar Blue, polled 1,500 Australians who had purchased sunscreen.

The NSW government has announced a new initiative to help residents gain access to mental health advice.

Minister for mental health Kevin Humphries launched the 24 hour telephone service last week, stating that it would provide essential information to patients, families and carers.

"This service heralds a new era of mental health care in NSW; it is a simple and effective way in which people who are worried about mental health issues can receive expert assistance," he said on May 23.

One of the country's peak health bodies is calling on Australians to be tested for kidney disease.

According to Kidney Health Australia (KHA), 1.3 million people now live with undiagnosed kidney disease - placing them at up to 20 times greater risk of heart attack or stroke.

Research from the KHA indicates that more than 10,500 Australians currently receive dialysis, while another 1,100 are listed for transplantation.

Tooth decay is becoming a common occurrence in an increasing number of Australian children, according to new data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Titled the Child Dental Health Survey Australia 2007 - 30-year trends in child oral health, the report indicates that rate of tooth decay among those aged between six and 15 years has increased since the mid-1990s.

In 2007, the average six-year-old had two decayed, missing or filled teeth - a trend that continued into the teenage years, according to study author Kaye Roberts-Thomson.

Many Australians are unprepared to deal with the end of their lives, a new study has found.

According to the latest report from Palliative Care Australia (PCA), less than 20 per cent of adults have taken into account plans for their palliative care as they get older.

Palliative care is defined by the PCA as "specialist care provided for all people living with, and dying from a terminal condition and for whom the primary goal is quality of life".

PCA vice-president Patsy Yates believes palliative care is an important issue that is not being addressed.

Children exposed to cigarette smoke may be at greater risk of health complications later in life, according to new research.

The Menzies Research Institute Tasmania contributed to the international study, which evaluated the health effects of passive smoking on children over a 20-year period.

According to researcher Seana Gall, the participants experienced some alarming results, with an ultrasound on a blood vessel in their arm revealing irreversible cardiovascular damage.

The head of one of Australia's leading health bodies has criticised the federal government for failing to address the increasing issue of diabetes.

Chief executive of Diabetes Australia Lewis Kaplan believes that the desire to return a budget surplus has overshadowed the importance of providing assistance to the 1.7 million diabetes sufferers around the country.

"It's not good for the nation's health to not focus very much more strongly on the diabetes pandemic because it's going to send the system broke," he told AAP sources on May 14.

The spouses and relatives caring for those suffering from anxiety or depression may be putting their own health at risk, according to a new study by Wesley Mission.

Titled Keeping minds well: Caring till it hurts, the charity's latest report found that almost 90 per cent of people who have cared for someone with a mental health issue reported a harmful impact on their own physical and mental wellbeing, as well as employment and financial situation.

New research from a leading health body has indicated that morbidly obese women in Australia and New Zealand may be at greater risk of complications during pregnancy.

According to data from the Australasian Maternity Outcomes Surveillance System (AMOSS), women with a body mass index of greater than 50 are twice as likely to require a caesarean
delivery than other expectant mothers.