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More than 7 out of 10 adults in New Zealand support
bringing dental into the public health system, according to
a new poll commissioned by the union for senior doctors and
dentists and released today, on World Oral Health Day (20
March).
The poll, conducted by Talbot Mills and
commissioned by the Association of Salaried Medical
Specialists (ASMS), showed 74% of people strongly agreed or
agreed that adult dental care should be funded in the same
way it is funded for children. Children’s dental care is
currently free in New Zealand.
A group called Dental
for All – comprising ASMS, anti-poverty groups such as
Auckland Action Against Poverty, and practising dentists –
is now calling for the politicians to bring universal dental
into the public healthcare system in light of the
poll.
The polling also revealed that 72% of people
delayed visiting a dentist because of cost, and only 43% of
people had visited a dentist in the last 12
months.
Dental for All is today launching an online
petition with ActionStation calling on the government to
enact this change and make dental care free for
everyone.
“Dental care is just unaffordable for many
New Zealanders,” says Executive Director of the
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, Sarah Dalton.
“It is only adding to the health inequities that plague
our system.”
Brooke Stanley Pao, coordinator of
Auckland Action Against Poverty, adds: “Successive
governments have treated the health of our mouths
differently to the health of the rest of our bodies, and we
think it’s time to change that – and for the government to
introduce universal dental and bring dental into the public
healthcare system.”
The poll and petition follow a
report from ASMS, Tooth be Told, published late last
year showing 40% of people in Aotearoa cannot afford dental
care.
Public dentist Hugh Trengrove says: “When our
teeth and gums are looked after, our wellbeing improves. I
see terrible cases where poor oral health leads to worse
health problems, and government has the power to intervene
to end
that.”
© Scoop Media
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