BUDGET 2025: Budget silence on dental care a false economy, says NZ Dental Association

Failure to invest in dental care in this year’s Budget will come at a long-term cost to the health system and the nation’s wellbeing, the NZ Dental Association (NZDA) says.

While dental care for children is nominally free from birth to age 18, NZDA says the system is significantly under-resourced, under-delivered, and failing to reach many young people.

“Even the services we already promise aren’t functioning as they should,” says NZDA Director of Dental Policy, Dr Robin Whyman.

“But this shouldn’t be taken as an excuse to throw the baby out with the bathwater; it is a matter of properly supporting what we already have.”

Dr Whyman is also concerned about the growing number of Kiwis who are shut out of care altogether.

“Doing nothing for groups with high levels of oral disease, such as young adults, medically vulnerable people, those living with disabilities, and older adults dependent on others, is ultimately more expensive.

“We are seeing more preventable dental disease presenting later and more severely.”
Instead, smart, preventive investments could ease the burden on the wider health system. One such step is the introduction of a sugar tax.

“These policies are proven to reduce rates of dental decay and encourage better public health outcomes. It’s time for New Zealand to act on that evidence.”

To address longstanding workforce and capacity issues, Dr Whyman is calling on the Government to:

• Increase the training pipeline for dentists and oral health therapists,
• Provide sustainable funding for child and adolescent oral health services,
• Establish targeted, funded care programmes for the most at-risk populations.

“This is a solvable public health challenge,” Amso says.

“Oral health is not a luxury and should be a part of overall health. The Budget was an opportunity to show that we take that seriously.”