Report highlights urgent need for “life-changing” free dental care – Greens

ActionStation’s Oral Healthcare report, released today, paints a dire picture of unmet need and inequality across the country, highlighting the urgency of free dental care for all New Zealanders.

“Quality dental care isn’t a luxury, it’s a human right. It’s time we treat it like one,” says Green Party co-leader Hon Marama Davidson.

“For decades, successive governments have chosen to exclude dental care from the public health system. This is a political choice–and different choices can be made. No one should have to suffer because they can’t afford to see a dentist.

“The findings reveal that almost half of New Zealanders report unmet need for dental care, with higher rates still for Māori (54.1 per cent), Pasifika (57.2 per cent), those with disabilities (53.1 per cent) and those aged between 25 and 34 (57.2 per cent).

“Cost is the single biggest barrier in accessing quality dental care. That forces people to make impossible choices: skipping other essential healthcare, being unable to pay for food, power or rent to instead pay for basic care, or even resorting–harrowing details of which we can read in the report–to dangerous DIY dental care or going without anaesthetic to save costs.

“The consequences of unaffordability and inaccessibility are dire. Chronic pain, long-term health issues, and–this government might be interested to note–lost productivity. All things considered, the costs of not acting are higher than if we just fixed this problem once and for all.

“For low-income New Zealanders, the MSD emergency dental grant is a mere $1000, and any cost beyond that must be repaid. It’s not even close to enough. No one should be in debt to the state full stop. And definitely not for basic healthcare. But, as we’ve learned, people are being forced into debt as high as $25,000.

“The Green Party campaigned on making dental care free for everyone–and paying for it with a fair tax system. New Zealanders deserve a robust healthcare system that includes dental, not one which forces them to choose between their teeth or putting food on the table,” says Marama Davidson.