A new report detailing the enormous social and economic costs of our dental system has reignited the Greens' call for free dental care. 

“Everyone in Aotearoa deserves access to dental care - we can make this happen with a fair tax system,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Primary Health, Ricardo Menéndez March.

“Healthcare is a human right that should be afforded to all, not just those able to pay for it. We can afford to look after one another and ensure people are not discriminated against accessing dental care due to cost. 

“Successive Governments have excluded oral health from the public health system. This has led to people living in pain and developing life-threatening conditions.  

“The Frank Advice Report paints a bleak picture of the current state of play, highlighting the billions of dollars each year that unmet oral health needs cost the economy and our communities. This report underlines the need for us to fold dental care into the public health system and make it accessible to all.

“Cost is the main barrier to accessing dental care for 44 per cent of the adult population, with an average dentist appointment costing about 40 per cent of the weekly income of someone earning the minimum wage.

“The consequences of delaying a trip to the dentist, or leaving problems with our teeth and gums untreated, can lead to severe health issues and more expensive interventions in the long run, as well as impacting people’s ability to participate in their communities.

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“The current settings are costing Aotearoa well over $6.2 billion a year, more than three times what it would cost to provide free dental health care for all. This is why the Green Party campaigned on making dental care free for everyone. All of this and more is possible with a wealth tax. 

“This report is a much-needed wake-up call and call to action for our government. Short-term cost savings for the government create costs for individuals and communities that are real and can be enormous,” says Ricardo Menéndez March.

Notes

Action Station has commissioned a report from consultancy Frank Advice on the social, economic and fiscal costs of the current settings around oral health care. The report is attached.

• 44 per cent of people over 18 do not access dental care because of cost and 22.5 per cent of people over 18 currently self-report the condition of their teeth as bad. 
• This report assesses the economic and social costs of this as more than $6.2 billion a year in loss of quality of life and impact on productivity. 
• The report notes that there is a case for exploring universal, free and Te Tiriti consistent dental care given the current costs.

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