It's free for children, so why aren't Kiwi adults receiving free dental care?

The cost of visiting the dentist is enough to swipe the smile off many people's faces, yet the implications of deferring treatment can be long-lasting.

Children receive free basic oral health services until their 18th birthday, yet most adults can only access dental services through the private system.

SUPPLIED Otago University Associate Professor Jonathan Broadbent says while some dentists are busy doing cosmetic work, there's a "serious unmet need" from those unable to afford to visit the dentist.

As Health Minister David Clark acknowledged the "huge unmet need" in adult dental care, was it now time the Government subsidised treatment?

University of Otago associate professor, Dr Jonathan Broadbent said the system should be improved to help those unable to pay.

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STUFF Young people enjoy free basic oral health treatment until their 18th birthday, so is it time the offer was extended to adults? (File photo)

"There remains a serious unmet need for care among those who cannot afford it ... we need to ensure our safety net means that anyone who is in pain can receive prompt and affordable care from any dentist."

At present, some adults do receive Government-funded dental treatment, including people with complex medical conditions and disabilities, like cleft palate and some cardiac patients, armed forces' personnel, and those carrying Community Services Cards.

However, New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) president Dr Bill O'Connor said the cost of expanding care to a fully-funded system would be astronomical.

MURRAY WILSON/STUFF New Zealand Dental Association president Dr Bill O'Connor says the cost of universal dental care "would likely cost more than the entire budget of a large District Health Board." (File photo)

"Universal dental care would likely cost more than the entire annual budget of large District Health Boards like Auckland and Waikato DHBs.

"In some ways, making dental treatment free may not necessarily reduce the level of disease because of complex socio-economic factors," O'Connor said.

The Ministry of Health said there was no fixed fee structure for private dentists, which meant the cost of procedures can vary.

SCOTT OLSEN/GETTY Those with complex medical conditions like cleft palate were among the few adult groups which received Government funding for dental treatment. (File photo)

Factors included the practice's location, whether it was a specialist or general dental surgery, and the type of equipment and techniques being used.

While it doesn't make price recommendations, NZDA's Fee Survey 2018 revealed the average cost of a dental examination was $76, while a panoramic x-ray cost $91.

A half-hour visit to the hygienist cost an average of $110, a composite crown was $408 and a one-surface amalgam filling was $153, while a root filling for a molar with three roots, excluding restoration, was $1155.

Dentistry was a highly regulated industry, and complying with those regulations was expensive.

"Materials and equipment costs are high. Wages are high. Rents have to be paid ... you cannot deliver low-priced dentistry in New Zealand unless someone else is paying for it i.e. taxpayers or insurance companies," O'Connor said.

Broadbent agreed the cost of setting up a surgery was significant. For example, Otago University's new 32-chair clinical dentistry unit in Auckland cost $28 million to build - nearly $1m per chair.

CARYS MONTEATH/STUFF The New Zealand Dental Association says dentistry is "not necessarily expensive if you take reasonable care of your teeth and have regular check-ups." (File photo)

United Kingdom residents had access to an almost fully-funded dental programme under the National Health System (NHS), but "has worse decay rates and statistics than New Zealand", O'Connor said.

In a statement, Minister Clark indicated his desire to see "more affordable access" for adults, and pointed to a "huge unmet need in dental care".

"We have people struggling with third world health conditions as a result of bad dental hygiene and inability to access the care and treatment they need.

STUFF The country's dental industry is highly regulated and the compliance costs, including materials and equipment, for dentists come at a high price. (File photo)

"However, it's unlikely we'll get significant change over the line with that this term," Clark said.

Of the $198m DHBs spent on oral health services (excluding GST) in 2017/18, $49.68m of that was put towards hospital dental treatment.

However, Broadbent said most dental treatment done by hospitals was for pain relief only and, after that, it was "up to patients to seek ongoing care at their own expense".

Average cost of Wellington dentist visit

Examination: $76

Panoramic x-ray: $96

Half-hour hygienist visit: $107

Composite filling, one surface: $169

Root filling, molar (excluding restoration): $1240

Full upper and lower dentures: $2757

Average cost of dentist visit, nationwide