Northland has the worst rate of oral health care in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Statistics show that 58% of all 5 year olds in Northland have some form of tooth decay and one person every fortnight is admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in Northland for dental problems alone.

Even with the free dental health care up to 18 there is an average of 3.4 decayed, missing or filled teeth in people under the age of 18.

Lots of towns in Northland such as Dargaville and Kaikohe do not have a dentist so this means they have to rely on places such as Kerikeri and Whangarei to go for dental work. With Northland having the highest rates of unemployment in Aotearoa at 4% it is difficult for families to afford long trips to Kerikeri and Whangarei for dental appointments.

For children the work is free but to get their children from some of the most Northern towns to Kerikeri and Whangarei can cost a lot nowadays with fuel costs, not to mention a day off work.

If things stay the same then more whānau and children will continue to experience severe health problems as a result of their oral health.

Our goal is to place pressure on the government to increase funding and access to dental health in Northland and Aotearoa. We want the government to:

1) Bring dental care in line with other essential health services so it is funded for people over the age of 18

2) Increase funding so that dental care is free for individuals over the age of 18 who have a Community Services Card

3) Provide relocation funding for dentists to relocate to Northland so that there is incentive for them to relocate out of other major centres

4) Provide additional funding for mobile dentists to visit isolated towns and communities in Northland and the Far North

Jump on board and help us to provide better dental care to vulnerable people and communities in Northland!!!!