6. Hon JIM ANDERTON (Leader—Progressive) Link to this
to the Associate Minister of Health
Is he satisfied that New Zealanders have adequate access to affordable dental health-care?
Hon PETER DUNNE (Associate Minister of Health) Link to this
Yes, particularly in respect of children and adolescents. I do acknowledge, though, that some adults struggle to afford dental treatment, but there are mechanisms in place to support low-income adults to access care when they need it.
Does the Minister believe that dental care is more, or less, affordable under current economic conditions for New Zealanders on average or below-average incomes?
I can tell the member that in terms of the affordability issue, the Government currently spends around $40 million a year providing hospital-level dental services, and a further $56 million a year assisting people to access the care they need. And in the year ended January some 73,000-odd people sought access through the Ministry of Social Development to the various services they required. So I would suspect that, overall, dental care is affordable.
Has the Minister seen the results of the New Zealand Oral Health Survey, published in December 2010, which shows that 44 percent of all New Zealanders are not receiving any form of dental care; if so, does he think that number is acceptable?
I actually launched the survey results, so I have certainly seen them and am aware of their content. What they show is a number of steps that could be taken by people to improve their oral health-care. For example, about a third of New Zealanders do not brush their teeth twice a day. If they were to do so using a fluoride-based toothpaste, that would have a significant positive impact on their dental and oral health status.
Has the Minister got any comment on the dental health status of New Zealanders and whether it has improved or worsened over the last 20 years?
The Oral Health Survey shows significant improvement in a number of areas since the previous survey in the late 1980s. But it also raises some areas for concern, such as those I have mentioned already, and these are matters that will be worked on. I might say also that one of the things I think it does raise is the relevance of having a survey every 20 years. In such an important area as oral health we may need to look to having more frequent surveys to assess what is happening.
Can the Minister tell the House why dental health treatment is excluded from the public health system of New Zealand, when reputable surveys show that the number of New Zealanders not receiving any form of dental care has increased from 33 percent to 44 percent in the last 20 years?
I said in one of my earlier answers that we currently spend approximately $40 million on the provision of hospital-level dental services, with the majority being targeted to people with complex medical problems or disabilities and those who need treatment for conditions such as cleft palate and cancer. So I do not accept the proposition that dental care is excluded. I also made the point that about $56 million a year is spent by way of social welfare provision to assist people who are in need to get the dental care that they need. That is about $100 million a year. It is a pretty substantial commitment.