A national roadshow calling for free, universal dental health care will stop off in Wānaka today (Saturday September 27), with an event at the Wānaka Community Hub from 1-3pm.

Residents are invited to attend the Dental for All event and hear from speakers, share stories, and discuss the need for oral health reform.

Speakers will include oral health therapist and postgraduate public health student and Dental for All campaigner Kayli Taylor and the event will be facilitated by Dental for All spokesperson Hana Pilkinton-Ching.

Dental for All has visited more than 25 towns across the country, gathering stories that it says point to a broken dental system - especially in rural areas, and for tamariki.

"We have heard story after story about the under-18s service being neglected, particularly in smaller centres, where in some cases we're hearing mobile dental vans haven't visited for years," Hana said.

Stories have included people trying to extract their teeth themselves because they couldn’t afford dental services.

"It's alarming how often we have heard of people being left to pursue DIY dentistry, because of the prohibitive cost barrier," Hana said.

Dental for All is calling for a fully public, universal dental system.

When New Zealand's public healthcare system was established in 1938, some dentists lobbied for the exclusion of dental care from the service, though dental care for under-18s is free. 

That exclusion of dental care continues to today.

Research commissioned by Dental for All puts the cost of universal dental care - $1-2B - at less than what the current exclusion of dental care from the public system is costing society.

Hana said FrankAdvice research indicates the current approach to dental care is costing the country $2.5B in lost productivity and $3.1B in reduced quality of life.

The Wānaka event is the first stop on Dental for All’s final roadshow leg, which will travel to at least seven more towns or cities from Invercargill to Nelson after Wānaka.

All are welcome to attend this afternoon’s Dental for All event. Food will be provided.

PHOTO: Supplied