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James Shaw and Marama Davidson say their dental policy would help nearly every New Zealander. (File photo)
The Greens are promising to set up a national dental service to give free dental care for all, an initiative which would cost $1.4 billion next year.
Going to the dentist has become “a luxury few can afford”, co-leader Marama Davidson said on Sunday, which has resulted in some people using pliers to pull their teeth out.
“The average cost of going to the dentist is around $350, so it’s hardly surprising that with food, rent, mortgage repayments, and power bills going up, so many people are choosing not to go,” she said.
The Greens’ policy, announced in Christchurch on Sunday, would use money raised from a wealth tax to create the New Zealand Dental Service.
The wealth tax would be paid by couples worth more than $4 million after mortgages and other debts, and individuals worth more than $2m.
“Under our plan, everyone in Aotearoa will be able to visit the dentist when they need to through a new community-based New Zealand Dental Service, which will also provide emergency and complex dental services through local hospitals or specialist sites,” she said.
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The Green Party co-leader said she was excited to reveal a party manifesto that set the Greens apart from other parties.
The party would also fund another 20 training placements for dentists next year, lifting the total to 80.
Co-leader James Shaw said hundreds of thousands of people can’t afford the dentist even for a basic checkup, and New Zealand had a higher rate of people unable to get the dental care they need than the United States.
“Dental care for adults in Aotearoa is now among the most expensive in the world. Unbelievably, we have a higher rate of unmet dental care in Aotearoa because of cost than even the United States.
“Seventeen years ago, the former Prime Minister Helen Clark expanded dental care from our youngest children to everyone aged 18 and under. The time is now to finish the job.”
The new dental service will provide free annual check-ups and cleanings available to everyone in their local community, free dental care, such as fillings, sealants, and tooth removals, mobile dental vans, portable clinics, and funding for community dental clinics, including on marae,and specialist care for people when they’re in significant pain, require oral surgery or need complex treatment.
The party would also provide funding for by Māori, for Māori community and whānau oral health services.
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