A new push for universal dental care is gaining momentum in Aotearoa, with campaigners and Māori health providers calling for urgent reform to a system they say is failing communities.
The Dental for All campaign has released a landmark policy paper outlining a fully costed plan for free, publicly funded oral healthcare. It argues the current privatised model leaves nearly half of adults unable to afford treatment, with wider social and economic consequences.
For Māori providers on the frontline, the issue is not just cost, but access and equity.
Turuki Healthcare CEO Te Puia Winiata says proper funding is critical to delivering care in communities. “For Māori providers, it’s being able to be properly funded to deliver that care so that we can make dental care for all ages affordable,” she says. Without that support, services remain limited, with equipment in some clinics left unused.
Campaigners say Māori providers are already demonstrating what a better system could look like. Hana Pilkington-Ching, a policy organiser, says services grounded in kaupapa Māori offer more holistic, whānau-centred care. “A lot of Māori oral health providers are already leading the way, delivering care alongside other health services,” she says.
The policy also highlights Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations, with advocates arguing the current system falls short. Nurse Hinekura Ngataki says the proposal strengthens equity and iwi partnerships while addressing real barriers. “It recognises real solutions and impacts to address the dental needs for whānau,” she says.
While solutions are now clearly laid out, campaigners say the next move sits with Government.