In the midst of Government budget allocation and the financial complications of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new issue regarding the health of New Zealanders is quickly gaining attention.
The state of oral health in NZ has not improved in the last 30 years despite the declared intentions of various political parties.
Katie Ayers, spokesperson for New Zealand Dental Access to Care, Braemar Charitable Trust Trustee, and Braemar Hospital Board Director, noted how in her 26 years of dentistry work, low-income New Zealanders’ have not received increased care, while dental costs continue to rise.
The increasing cost of dental work leads to many low-income groups avoiding visiting the dentist, with NZ Herald reporting that only 34.6 per cent of people living in New Zealand’s poorest communities had visited a dentist in last 12 months. When compared to 56.7 per cent of middle-class Kiwis having made the trip, the gap is cause for concern.
The unmet need for timely and accessible oral surgery and pediatric dentistry requiring general anesthetic is a core focus of the Braemar Charitable Surgery Program.
Offering free surgeries to eligible patients is just one more way Braemar is achieving its vision of improving health outcomes for Waikato communities.
Follow this link to read the full story https://www.nzherald.co.nz/.../5OG5BUQGEI5V3NICA3RZDMYB3M/
