Our goal is free dental care for everyone in Aotearoa.

Good oral health is an important foundation for wellbeing and should be valued as part of our public health system. Currently, oral health is treated differently to the rest of our health, and 40% of adults can’t afford the care that they need. Free and universal oral healthcare would mean everyone in Aotearoa could afford the regular check-ups and care they need, unlocking pathways for better oral health for everyone.

Our oral health system must uphold Māori rights to tino rangatiratanga, as guaranteed by article 2 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. That means enabling Māori to determine the future of oral healthcare within their own sphere of authority, alongside free and universal dental within the kāwanatanga sphere. There are different ways tino rangatiratanga could be realised: proposals that have been raised include extending Whānau Ora principles to oral healthcare, resourcing iwi and hapū and marae to support oral health, and funding Māori oral health providers.

We are calling for free and universal oral healthcare in Aotearoa, as part of a public health system which is well-resourced and consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Dental for All is about a future where everyone can access the oral healthcare they need, and all of our communities can thrive.