Good oral health for all, for life

To reinforce the New Zealand Government’s commitment to improving oral health services, the NZ Ministry of Health has developed a strategic vision document, called Good oral health for all, for life, which is similar to Australia's National Oral Health Plan 2004.

In his introduction to this paper, NZ Health Minister, The Hon Pete Hodgson said,

"New Zealand has reached a turning point for oral health. Several decades of dramatic improvements in the oral health of young people have begun to reverse. Inequalities in oral health and in access to oral health services have become increasingly evident, with Māori, Pacific, rural and low socioeconomic populations all showing progressively poorer oral health relative to other groups. Recent reviews of the School Dental Service showed that services are often hampered by ageing equipment and buildings, and models of service delivery that are no longer meeting communities’ needs. Secondary services are under pressure from larger case loads of patients requiring more complex treatment. Barriers to oral health facing older adults, who are increasingly keeping their own teeth, are also presenting a challenge at the other end of the age spectrum. The future can be very different. The Ministry of Health has a vision ..."

The document introduces the NZ Government's new vision for oral health, and the immediate steps needed to achieve this. It is intended to inspire funders and planners, providers and communities as to the possibilities for improving oral health - and also to spark debate.