Māori Dentistry Chair Justin Wall states that the high cost of dental care in New Zealand is preventing many adults from accessing treatment, with nearly half of the population unable to afford visits.
The impact is even more severe for Māori, with 54% unable to cover dental costs, and Pasifika, at 52%, according to a 2022 report from the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists.
Wall says the free dental care system for those under 18 only partially covers the most vulnerable age group of 14 to 22-year-olds, who are becoming independent and transitioning into adulthood, with Māori youth particularly affected.
He says an age-targeted investment model to support those most vulnerable to the financial strain of dental costs.
“Young adulthood, up to the age of 28 – 30 people, are at that time when they’re at greater risk of not being able to look after themselves, and also for Māori because that’s when we’re having our children,” says Wall.
