6. Clinical Governance
& Leadership
Clinical Governance and Clinical Leadership, and Appropriate Policy Settings
The New Zealand Dental Association position is:
That there is a need to improve political and resource commitments to oral health.
That there is a need to strengthen leadership beyond a sole part time clinical leader and to create oral health units in the Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora and Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora.
That there is a need to consider oral health in policy development across the health sector and across government.
The New Zealand Dental Association position is that achieving good oral health requires a focus on equitable population health that includes oral health, healthy environments, a healthy, competent oral health workforce that is sufficient to deliver services, and safe, cost-effective services that enhance the experience of health care.
Recent reform of the New Zealand health sector has shown limited focus on oral health, dental services or the dental workforce. The New Zealand Dental Association does note that in all of the five sector strategies that supported the 2023 New Zealand Health Strategy, oral health or dentistry was briefly mentioned. The documents collectively make arguments for the need for improved access to community-based and affordable dental services.
This is consistent with a concern of the public about the accessibility of oral health care, and particularly the affordability of health care for adults.
A great deal of oral health improvement will be influenced and achieved by factors outside of the control of dentists and other providers of oral health services, including housing, socio-economic conditions, incomes levels, and poverty.
However, improving oral health requires oral health to be recognised in health policy development. Oral health needs to be integrated into relevant population health and universal health coverage programmes that are wider than just those for child oral health and the early years of life.
There is a need for greater political and resource commitment to oral health to support communities to improve oral health and to support dentists and other providers of oral health services.
The New Zealand Dental Association is concerned that there is no current Oral Health strategy or strategic vision for oral health improvement.
The recently approved programme of work for Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora was limited to the 0-17 years age group.
The New Zealand Dental Association is also concerned that there is limited evidence of a functional and well-resourced oral health unit in the Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora or Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. Clinical leadership is provided at the Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora by a national clinical leader who is qualified in dental public health. However, the FTE of that role was reduced in 2024, and the role is stretched to provide business as usual. Clinical leadership in Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora remains embryonic and is not clear to the sector. A clinical network has been established in 2025.
One person without a team of staff cannot provide the level of leadership necessary to advocate and ensure commitment to improving oral health. It requires a clinical leader to be recognised, with sufficient seniority in the health system, and to have a team with a mandate and a work programme.