Waiting times for children’s dental health in the Upper Clutha have worsened in the past two years, with a quarter of local children now overdue for a dental checkup.

A local mother of three contacted the Wānaka App recently with concerns that her children had not seen a dental therapist for two years, and she had been told another six months delay was likely.

“I am just so sick of the fact that our children's dental health care is so insufficient,” she told the Wānaka App.

She said she had been assured by the then Southern District Health Board (SDHB) in 2020 that the board was seeking to resolve the issue, but added: “It's now worse than ever.”

Read more: School dental delays continue

In October 2020 the SDHB said there were 40 patients in Wānaka overdue for their check up by more than 12 months; and out of 2,348 children enrolled at the clinic the bulk of Wānaka patients were 6-11 months overdue.

The delays have been blamed on staff shortages and Covid-19 restrictions.

Now Te Whatu Ora Southern (the new name for SDHB) says there are 480 Wānaka children overdue for a check up, representing 25 percent of the enrolled population.

In 2020 the SDHB said the inability to provide dental services under Covid-19 alert levels three and four “together with staff changes” had caused the delays.

A mobile dental unit has previously been used to help reduce wait times but delays across the region mean the unit is being prioritised for the most at-risk communities (based on the amount of disease and severity).

This week Te Whatu Ora dental surgeon Tim Mackay told the Wānaka App that Wānaka has one of the lower decay rates in Southern (more than 80 percent of children have never had a filling) so in 2021 the Oral Health Service increased the time between dental check-ups for children. 

“This reflected the low burden of disease in the community and to acknowledge the high level of oral health care being undertaken by families,” he said.

He added that staff shortages had had an impact on child dental services in Central Otago.

“We are looking at other ways to provide dental care to our community. This includes the use of teledentistry, supporting preschool groups with oral health promotion, dental education, fluoride varnish and tooth brushing programmes.”

Tim acknowledged that parents and caregivers may be frustrated and concerned.

“Our team prioritises children in urgent need of dental care. We are actively recruiting, and a new team member will start in September to support the Central Otago team.  

“We also have a part-time Oral Health Therapist who works three days a week to provide onsite services.”

Tim encouraged parents and caregivers to continue their daily dental care for their children and said if their child has a dental emergency, parents should phone 0800 672 543 to get in touch with a contracted dentist.

Families can promote oral health through regular brushing with a fluoride toothpaste, especially after eating, drinking water and milk only, and avoiding sugary foods and drinks. 

PHOTOS: Supplied