Free dental not enough for Auckland teens

Heather Dalton, Dental Therapist with west Auckland Mobile Dental examines Avondale College student Lezlie McArthur, 15. Photo / Kellie Blizard

A third of Auckland teens have not seen a dentist in the last year even though treatment is free for under-18s.

They can get free dental treatment when a mobile unit visits their school or from a dentist who's participating in a district health board scheme.

The Ministry of Health's national target for adolescents' dental services is 85 per cent by 2013. Figures provided by Waitemata, Auckland and Counties Manukau health boards show about a third of adolescents had no dental care in the past year.

Waitemata District Health Board's adolescent oral health coordinator Corinna Wylie says all colleges and high schools in the Auckland region are offered a mobile unit on site. "Not all schools wish to have the service. Reasons given have been that the school does not want the disruption to education time."

Counties Manukau District Health Board communications advisor Lauren Young says the board has employed an adolescent oral health promoter to help hard-to-reach adolescents register for free dental services. The board is working on how to improve access to dental care for children and adolescents.

Auckland District Health Board was unable to provide information on how it will meet the target.

None of the boards would name the schools that refused visits by mobile dental units.

Full story - The Aucklander