Concern for oral health of teenagers in Auckland
A third of teenagers in Auckland still don’t visit a dentist on a regular basis, despite care for under 18’s being free.
Free treatment is available from mobile units, which visit schools on a regular basis and from dentists who participate in the district health schemes. Despite the free care, a third of teenagers in Auckland and the surrounding areas are not visiting the dentist, according to figures released by local health boards. This figure falls short of the 85 percent national target set out by The Ministry of Health.
Corinna Wylie, adolescent oral health coordinator from Waitemata District Health Board, said that the figures were disappointing and attributed some of the blame to the fact that certain schools do not want to participate in the mobile unit scheme; many schools say they do not want the services because they disrupt classroom time.
Children living in rural communities who attend schools that do not participate in the mobile unit scheme may have trouble accessing dental services and this has been identified by district health boards; efforts are now being made to increase access to dental care in these areas and reach out to children who may be missing out on the free treatment available to them.
Parents from schools who choose not to receive visits from the mobile units will be forced to take their children to participating dentists; however, there may not be enough appointments to go round and children may have to wait for treatment. Auckland health board and those from surrounding areas are working to improve access to dental services in order to try and meet the national target and improve standards of oral health amongst teenagers.
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