School clinics lose out in bid to improve teeth

Findings show children's dental health is getting worse. File picture / John Borren

The Government has announced a $40 million plan to improve the state of children's teeth by moving money away from school dental clinics.

It comes as recent findings show oral health among the nation's young people is plummeting.

The Government will establish new Community Oral Health Services to reorientate services away from the existing school dental services to community-based programmes.

The money will be poured into the programme over the next four years.

Health Minister Pete Hodgson says the clinics will be larger, better-equipped and open for more hours during more days of the year.

Mr Hodgson says in hard-to-reach areas, mobile clinics and mobile surgical buses will be available.

Tailoring services to Maori, Pacific Island and rural children, who all had higher rates of fillings, would be a priority under the new plan.

"In hard to reach areas, mobile clinics and mobile surgical buses will ensure that oral health care is available for all children and young people," said Mr Hodgson.

"A key part of our work will be acknowledging that appalling inequalities exist and telling DHBs that they must be addressed."

"Maori children for example are three times more likely to have missing, decayed or filled teeth than the national average."

Prime Minister Helen Clark said the move to establish the community centres followed the Government in its first term re-establishing the training of dental therapists -- formerly known as dental nurses -- which was cut in the 1990s.

"Protecting the health of our children is a top priority," she said.

"The steady increase in the number of young New Zealanders with decayed teeth is of great concern."

A week ago, the Ministry of Health released data showing a steady decline in the state of many children's teeth.

It showed:
* In 2004 (the last year with complete national data), the oral health of young New Zealanders continued to worsen.

* Children in fluoridated regions did far better than children in non-fluoridated regions.

* Maori and Pacific children, and children in rural areas had significantly worse oral health than the national average.

* Northland children had the worst teeth.

- NZPA, NZHERALD STAFF