The New Zealand Dental Association has outlined how the latest health survey shows stalled progress and declining access to oral health care.
The 2024/25 results reveal no notable improvement in oral health outcomes or access to care, with several key indicators continuing to trend negatively.
So said the New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA), which is urgently calling for government action on prevention, access, and system reform.
NZDA Director of Dental Policy, Dr Robin Whyman, said the results should prompt urgent attention from policymakers.
“These indicators have been tracked for more than a decade. While the survey allows us to see trends, it does not explore what lies behind these results, and it does not seem to be generating action to effect improvements.”
Among adults aged 15 and over, the survey shows clear signs of deteriorating oral health and persistent access barriers.
Self-rated oral health has declined from 79.8 percent in 2019/20 to 76.9 percent in 2024/25, a shift Dr Whyman describes as a warning signal.
“Self-rated oral health among adults has clearly deteriorated over the past five years, and this should concern policymakers.”
The survey also shows that only 62.9 percent of adults brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, indicating continued gaps in basic preventive behaviours.
“There is no notable improvement in oral health or access to care happening, and cost remains a major barrier for too many New Zealanders,” Dr Whyman said.
For children aged 0–14, the findings again show only limited progress and concerning decreases in access.
Parent-rated child oral health declined modestly (from 93.2 percent in 2019/20 to 91.6 percent in 2024/25), although this is reported in the NZ Health Survey as “no change”.
More notably, the proportion of children who visited a dental health care worker has declined significantly over the past decade, from 84.4 percent in 2014/15 to 75.1 percent in 2024/25.
This decline represents one of the most substantial shifts in the oral health indicators, Dr Whyman said.
“The decline in child oral health care visits represents one of the most significant shifts in the oral health indicators, and it reinforces why NZDA continues to call for a comprehensive review of the child and adolescent oral health system.”
The Health Survey results paint a picture of unmet need and declining access in key areas.
The findings should be a catalyst for meaningful reform and sustained investment in preventive care and service delivery, Dr Whyman said.
“Our Oral Health Roadmap identifies issues behind these indicators and the steps needed to strengthen oral health services and ensure all New Zealanders can access the care they need. We just need government action.”
More news here.
