Covid-19 Coronavirus: Dental association warns Epidemic Response Committee of looming crisis

About 400,000 New Zealanders have had cancelled dental appointments during lockdown. Photo / 123rf

About 20,000 New Zealanders are missing out on dental care each day due to Covid-19 restrictions and dentists are warning of a looming crisis.

The New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) today told the Epidemic Response Committee that there was "extreme uncertainty" about what dental treatment should look like at each alert level.

At least one person was currently in intensive care for management of life-threatening dental infections, NZDA President Dr Katie Ayers told the committee.

Ayers said planning within the industry was unable to begin due to lack of ready guidelines from the Government.

"There is currently no indication when dental practices will be able to reopen and a workforce of over 10,000 is essentially sitting without work.

"Dentists are essential primary health care workers as they are frontline and there is a looming public health crisis, with one out of eight practices already having laid off staff and up to 45 per cent currently being forced to consider doing the same."

Ayers also outlined the dire state of what the profession faces currently, including a lack of government support and virtually no available PPE.

Since the lockdown commenced on March 26 about 400,000 New Zealanders have had cancelled dental appointments with no deferment date.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website