Media release

From: New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA)

• A high proportion of people who presented at ED seeking relief of toothaches and/or dental abscesses were young adults, Māori and Pasifika.
• In contrast to medical presentations, there is a lack of accessible care pathways for dental presentations: “We wouldn’t turn any medical issue away, but we’d turn a dental issue away.” “We usually have a way of referring back to their GP to refer them to a service that doesn’t’ have a cost associated with it—I just don’t know if there’s anything we can do dentistry-wise.”
• Cost of, and access to, care are key barriers to dental care in the community, and likely drive presentations to EDs.
• Unlike almost all other medical conditions that present to EDs, there are few pathways to further dental care in the community that are affordable and accessible.
• Primary dental care in the community is the most appropriate, effective and favoured setting in which to resolve people’s urgent dental needs.
• Oral health disparities are likely to continue and widen if the means to providing accessible dental care is not achieved.