Unsplash
Dentists are affected by the same price pressures as other small businesses, the NZDA says. (File photo)
How much you pay to go to the dentist can vary depending on where you are.
The cost of dental care has been in the news since Labour promised to make it free for people aged up to 30.
It would be a staggered roll-out, with free dental care for 18 to 23-year-olds by July 2025. The next year, it would expand to cover everyone under 30 years old.
The New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) says it is likely that the cost of going to the dentist is rising, as cost of living pressures go on.
The association regularly surveys members about the fees they charge.
At a national level, an examination costs a median $74. Scaling would cost $80 for each 15 minutes. An almalgam filling $170 for one surface and a single, non-surgical extraction $242.
It also breaks down how much people pay can vary according to where they live.
In Auckland, an examination costs a median $70. Scaling would cost $90 for each 15 minutes. An almalgam filling $185 for one surface and an extraction $250.
In Wellington, an examination costs a median $75. Scaling would cost $73 for each 15 minutes. An almalgam filling $180 for one surface and an extraction $278.
A root filling might cost a median $900 in Auckland but only $700 in Canterbury or Southland.
On a median basis, the cheapest place for an examination was north of Auckland, at a median $60 Canterbury and Waikato were the cheapest places to have a tooth pulled, at $235.
At the top end of the scale, a three-unit anterior bridge was one of the priciest procedures quoted. This would cost on average $3529 in north of Auckland practices, $4050 on average in Auckland and $4048 on average for Wellington practices.
The data is from 2020 and is being updated at the moment.
NZDA spokesperson Robin Whyman said it was likely that prices would have risen further since then.
“When we look at the cost of living increases across the board, dental practices are affected by those same pressures, all the pressures affecting other small to medium businesses. Prices are highly likely to have moved.”
He said the cost of dentistry was one of the reasons that people might delay their access to dental treatment, particularly if they were on lower incomes.
SUPPLIED
Labour leader Chris Hipkins promised free dental care for under 30s, as he launched the party’s election campaign.
He said it was common overseas to have fee-for-service arrangements similar to that in New Zealand. “The difference in New Zealand is there is not the same level of support in terms of public funding into adult dental care, or insurance-based care, or social insurance-type models. New Zealand is somewhat unusual, it follows a similar model of private practice dental care but the funding mechanism has fewer supports than many other western countries.”
Dental care is free until someone’s 18th birthday.
He said the main support mechanism for adults was a grant from Work and Income. The limit for this has increased from $300 to $1000 “with a wider remit available for them. They are available for urgent dental care not just emergencies and more than once a year if necessary… that has increased the number of people seeking support through MSD for their dental care.”
Tessa Bell, service manager and financial mentor at Nelson Budget Service, said she encountered people who had to choose not to have dental work done because of the cost.
“Some treatments are in the thousands because people are unable to pay for regular checkups where prices can be a real barrier.
“We are lucky in Nelson to have Fifeshire Foundation, which supports with grants up to $1000 for dental work.”
Discussion about this post