1. Why a Roadmap for Better Oral Health?

The United Nations General Assembly recognises that oral diseases are a major global health burden and share common risk factors with other non-communicable diseases.

In 2019 the General Assembly reaffirmed its strong commitment to prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and included strengthening efforts to address oral health as part of universal health coverage.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognises oral health as an integral part of general health and as a basic human right. The WHO Global strategy and action plan on oral health 2023-2030 emphasises that improving oral health is a collective responsibility within and outside oral health communities.

The New Zealand Dental Association’s membership consists of over 98 percent of New Zealand dentists working across all sectors (public, private, NGO and not-for-profit providers, academia, and Defence) with people from all walks of life. The Association and its members have insights informed by clinical experience and their work in communities into the consequences of poor oral health. We actively advocate for evidence-based policy that provides the best opportunity for oral health equity across all communities.

The Association is an independent professional association for dentists. The Association acknowledges the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and that it establishes and formalises the relationship between Māori and the British Crown. It has a fundamental role serving as a foundational document for policy development in Aotearoa and it safeguards Māori values, traditions, and practices, while also acknowledging and legitimising the presence of settlers in Aotearoa and the governance by the British Crown.

The Association acknowledges the enduring strength and resilience of whānau Māori, while also recognising that the impacts of colonisation since the 19th century have contributed to inequities in oral health. Despite these challenges, whānau Māori continue to uphold rich traditions of wellbeing and are central to creating solutions that restore and enhance oral health outcomes across all ages. The Association acknowledges the significance and importance of Te Tiriti of Waitangi to improving Māori health.

A Strategic Vision for Oral Health (Good Oral Health for All, for Life) was published in 2006 by the Ministry of Health. The aspiration was for high-quality oral health services that promote, improve, maintain, and restore good oral health and proactively address the needs of those at greatest risk of poor oral health.

Much work has been undertaken to improve oral health and oral health services and to improve equity in oral health in New Zealand. However, 2006 remains the last time a clear government plan for oral health was expressed.

The 2023 New Zealand Dental Association Oral Health Summit featured a great deal of discussion and significant concern at persisting inequities in the oral health of New Zealanders. The summit recognised that these issues have many contributing factors, including environments that promote poor oral health, barriers to oral health care for some New Zealanders, and the need to train and retain a dentist and oral health workforce which is representative of the New Zealand population. There was particular concern at continuing high levels of refined sugar in the diets of New Zealanders and less-than-optimal coverage for community water fluoridation.

The New Zealand Dental Association’s position is that all New Zealanders have the right to good oral health.

The Association has considered the strategic objectives outlined in the Global strategy and action plan on oral health 2023-2030 and developed its Roadmap Towards Better Oral Health for New Zealand, including priorities for actions to improve the oral health of New Zealanders.

The Association offers this Roadmap Towards Better Oral Health for New Zealand as a platform for further actions and plans to improve, maintain, and restore good oral health and proactively address the needs of those at greatest risk of poor oral health.