March 29, 2023
Nanny state denies dental care
A ropu fighting for better dental services for Māori says the government is to blame for Māori having considerably more oral disease than the general population.
Te Ropu Niho Ora, a collective of Māori oral health experts, is arguing unspent money allocated for universal care for under-18s should be extended so rangatahi Māori can access free dentists until they are 25.
Chair Justin Wall says policy decisions about dental care blame individuals for what they eat rather than looking at the broader social, economic and geographical issues that affect oral health.
“We get this real nanny argument about ‘it’s your fault, you should have looked after your teeth,’ which completely ignores the diversity of the population, of the general population and the circumstances of the Māori population,” he says.
Dr Wall says higher rates of poor oral health among Maori come down to access to appropriate services.