Standards of oral health improving in New Zealand
The New Zealand government has announced that recent figures have confirmed that standards of oral health amongst children have improved considerably over the course of the last two years.
Health Minister Peter Dunne, in charge of oral health, said that there had been an 18 percent increase in the number of pre-school youngsters registered with the district health board since 2007. Recent figures also revealed that 20,000 more youngsters were receiving free dental care as part of the national scheme to provide free dental services for teenagers; this constitutes a 12% boost.
Health ministers have focused on oral health over the last three years in order to iron out problems with dental services for children; three years ago, waiting lists were lengthy and a large proportion of teenage children were not registered with a dentist, despite care being free of charge for under 18’s.
Mr Dunne said the government had been focusing on preventative oral treatments, as well as general dental treatments; preventative treatments, including sealants and fluoride varnish treatments help to strengthen the teeth and protect them against bacteria. Investment in preventative health will help to reduce the risk of children developing severe dental problems in the future, which will cut costs and lead to higher national standards of oral health.
Despite the positive figures, health ministers admit that there is still work to be done; recent figures suggested that many teenagers were not visiting their dentist on a regular basis even though care is free. Ministers will now try to find ways to encourage parents to take their children to see their dentist and get both younger and older children involved in oral health.
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