The Green Party are today launching a campaign asking for people to submit their stories of what it’s really like taking care of your oral health in Aotearoa.

“Everybody in Aotearoa should be able to access essential healthcare and go to the dentist when they need to. But we know that for far too many Kiwis that is just simply not possible. Too many people are forced to put it off because it is too expensive,” says Green Party health spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March.

“An estimated 40 percent of adults in Aotearoa cannot afford dental care. For Māori and Pasifika, the figure is more than 50 percent.

“When people cannot get the dental care they need, it can cause extreme pain and discomfort, and contribute to other health problems.

“Disparities in the accessibility of oral health care in Aotearoa are clear, and they are unfair.

“We know that thousands of people across Aotearoa will be familiar with the experience of having to drain their savings, borrow money, or just put off dental care because of the cost.

“Today we’re telling you we want to hear your stories. Sharing your story with us is the first step in fixing the inequity in oral health care in Aotearoa,” says Ricardo Menéndez March.

Submit here: https://action.greens.org.nz/dental_stories

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