New Zealand children’s oral health amongst the worst in the developed world
Standards of oral health amongst children in New Zealand are amongst the worst in the developed world, according to recent figures.
A school dental services report has revealed that 44 percent of children aged 5 have at least one decayed tooth and paediatric dentists have claimed that they are seeing children as young as two years old with extensive decay. Clarence Tam, a paediatric dentist from Auckland said that it was becoming commonplace to see children under the age of 5 with large holes in their teeth.
The Ministry of Health report confirmed that standards of oral health are lower than the UK, Australia and the USA. In recent years, the government has ploughed money into dental services, but improvements have been marginal; in the last 11 years, the percentage of children with decay has only dropped by 4 percent despite millions of dollars of investment.
The report revealed the worst hit areas, which included Waikato, Northland and Manukau. Children with Maori and Pacific Island heritage had the worst standards of oral health.
Dental care is free for children under the age of 18, yet many parents are not taking their children to see their dentist on a regular basis; dentists are urging parents to take their children for regular check-ups and keen an eye on their children’s diets. The high rates of decay are linked to a poor diet and poor oral hygiene; children are consuming more sweet foods and fizzy drinks, which are harmful for the teeth and increase the risk of oral health problems.
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