Media Releases

Better teeth and better health for New Zealand children

13 May 2003

"Clear inequalities exist in the oral health of New Zealand children, especially among Maori and Pacific children and those from poorer (low socioeconomic) families. There is, however, enormous scope to reduce these inequalities, as most dental disease is preventable," says the Public Health Advisory Committee (PHAC) in a report to the Minister of Health released by the Hon. Annette King today.

"Good oral health is about much more than just having good teeth," says PHAC member Lynette Stewart. "It's critical to a person's overall good health and wellbeing.

"PHAC's report Improving child oral health and reducing health inequalities points to a number of areas where actions now will start to improve the serious situation that exists for many children in parts of the country," says Lynette Stewart.

These seven actions areas are:

Influencing socioeconomic determinants
Improving Maori oral health
Encouraging fluoridation
Reorienting oral health services
A responsive and skilled workforce
Better information about child oral health and inequalities
Using child oral health as an indicator of health inequalities.
The report shows that there is considerable regional variation in the prevalence and severity of tooth decay. Five-year-olds in the Northland, Tairawhiti and West Coast District Health Boards (DHBs) have the most tooth decay with around two-thirds of children affected.

Maori, Pacific Island, rural and transient children and children from low socioeconomic families are less likely to use oral health services particularly in preschool years. Factors such as maternal oral health and maternal education levels are believed to influence child oral health with, in turn, adult oral health thought to be strongly influenced by childhood experiences.

"In practical terms, our report recommends improving the preschool uptake of oral health services. Evidence shows that socioeconomic differences in oral health reduce during school years when children generally have access to free dental care but that these inequalities re-emerge in adulthood.

"This goes hand in hand with initiatives to build a workforce more reflective of and responsive to New Zealand's changing demographic composition. Coupled to this is evaluation of and support for successful grassroots initiatives like the "brush in" programme run by Hauora Whanui in schools and kohanga reo in the mid-Northland area.

At the broader community level evidence shows that fluoride is one of the most important preventive measures available against tooth decay on an individual and a population basis. Water fluoridation is an effective public health measure for dental health and can reduce dental decay in children by as much as 50 percent. As such, it makes an important contribution to reducing oral health inequalities. Regions with the highest percentage of children receiving fluoridated water have the lowest overall rates of tooth decay.

The PHAC considers that the evidence on the benefits of fluoridation far outweighs any evidence of risks associated with it and recommends local authorities be urged to apply to the new Sanitary Works Subsidy Scheme for funding to help meet the costs of setting up community fluoridation schemes.

The PHAC report makes it clear that improving child oral health and reducing health inequalities requires actions at many levels - Government, the health sector, the dental profession, communities and groups within the community.

"As chair of the Northland DHB, I am very clear about the pivotal role that DHBs can play in improving the oral health of New Zealand children and I recognise the importance of integrating oral health with other health services," says Lynette Stewart.

For more information contact Lynette Stewart, PHAC member, 09 435 2742, 025 765 662 Mark Booth, NHC/PHAC manager, 496 2232, 022 803920 Bronwyn Petrie NHC/PHAC secretariat member, 496 2066

NB: The Public Health Advisory Committee (PHAC) was established as a sub-committee of the National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability (National Health Committee, NHC) under the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 to increase the focus on public health.

The Act requires PHAC to independently advise the Minister of Health on: public health issues including factors underlying the health of people and communities; the promotion of public health; the monitoring of public health; any other matters the National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability specifies by notice to the committee.

NB: PHAC invites media to attend the release of its report by the Minister of Health at Turnbull House, Bowen Street, Wellington at 5.15 pm on Tuesday 13 May 2003.