NZ Green Party Promises Universal Dental Care

NEW ZEALAND: The Green Party of Aotearoa has made a significant pledge to provide free dental care for all citizens in the country. 

Co-leader Marama Davidson asserted the urgency of this initiative, stating that oral health has become a luxury inaccessible to many due to exorbitant costs.

“The time is now to make dental care free for everyone and to pay for it with a fair tax system,” says Davidson.

Calls for universal dental care in New Zealand

“Right now, oral health is a luxury few can afford. Every year millions of people put off going to the dentist because it is too damn expensive. The average cost of going to the dentist is around $350, so it’s hardly surprising that with food, rent, mortgage repayments, and power bills going up, so many people are choosing not to go.”

Heart-breaking Situation

According to Davidson, a substantial number of people opt to delay or forgo dental care due to financial constraints, leading to the escalation of dental problems.

“Problems then, of course build up. People spend their lives in agony. It is heart breaking to think that the situation gets so bad for some that they are taking pliers to their own teeth in a desperate attempt to fix problems that have spiralled out of control,” she adds.

“Let’s be clear: the current dental care system in Aotearoa is broken and cruel. This hasn’t happened by accident, but is the consequence of political decisions successive governments have made to exclude dental care from the public health system. This has got to change.”

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The Green Party views the existing system as broken and inhumane, attributing its failures to political decisions by successive governments to exclude dental care from the public health system.

“Under our plan, everyone in Aotearoa will be able to visit the dentist when they need to through a new community-based New Zealand Dental Service, which will also provide emergency and complex dental services through local hospitals or specialist sites,” Davidson says.

“The Green Party will finally end the indifference successive governments have shown to dental care and guarantee everyone the dental care they need, when they need it.” 

The Green Party’s Plan

The Green Party aims to establish a new community-based New Zealand Dental Service, under which every citizen in Aotearoa will have access to necessary dental care. The proposed service will also offer emergency and complex dental services through local hospitals or specialised sites, ensuring that people receive prompt attention and treatment when needed.

Co-leader James Shaw emphasised the responsibility of a wealthy country like Aotearoa to address the issue of dental care affordability. Dental care for adults in the country has become one of the most expensive in the world, leading to a higher rate of unmet dental care due to cost than even the United States. 

Shaw drew attention to former Prime Minister Helen Clark’s expansion of dental care for children aged 18 and under, and now believes it is time to complete the job and extend free dental care to all citizens.

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Funding the Plan

The Green Party says its fully costed plan to provide free dental care will be funded through fair and straightforward changes to the tax system. The objective is to unlock the necessary resources by ensuring that the financial burden falls on those with the ability to contribute the most. According to the party, this approach is expected to provide every citizen with peace of mind, knowing that they can access dental care whenever required without financial barriers.

The Green Party’s ambitious promise to make dental care free for all in Aotearoa has the potential to significantly improve the oral health and overall well-being of citizens. The proposed New Zealand Dental Service and funding through tax system adjustments aim to revolutionise the country’s dental care landscape and make access to dental services a universal right.