Our kids defy cavity | Auckland News | Local News in Auckland

A third of Auckland teens have not seen a dentist in the last year even though treatment is free for under-18s. Sophie Bond cracks the case open wide.

Even with her mouth full of pink gloved fingers and tiny tools, Lezlie McArthur manages a smile. Perhaps it's because she knows dental therapist Heather Dalton is about to give her the all-clear.

The 15-year-old Avondale College student's annual check-up is done in the West Auckland Mobile Dental caravan that's been parked at her school since the beginning of term three.

She trots back to class, teeth gleaming. "Doing the check-up here is easier than having to go out of school," she says.

Around the Auckland region, under-18s like Lezlie can get free dental treatment when a mobile unit visits their school, or from a dentist who's participating in the scheme.

West Auckland Mobile Dental owner Russell Emerson built his first mobile unit in 1989 and is contracted to Waitemata District Health Board to cover nine schools in West Auckland. "I was ahead of my time, so it's interesting to see health boards throughout the country using them now."

Dr Emerson says many children drop out of the system after they leave primary schools for intermediates. "We see tonnes of kids who haven't seen a dentist for a couple of years. If it wasn't for mobile units some of them would get no further care ever."

The Ministry of Health's national target for adolescents' dental services is 85 per cent by 2013. Mobile units are part of the district health boards' strategies to meet this target. Figures (see Lip Service above) provided by Waitemata, Auckland and Counties Manukau District Health Boards show about a third of adolescents had no dental care in the past year.

Dr Emerson believes it will be difficult for health boards to meet the 85 per cent target and says more information for students, parents and dentists is vital. "At the moment, it's impossible for us to go into a school and find out which kids haven't seen a dentist in the last year."

Waitemata District Health Board's adolescent oral health coordinator Corinna Wylie says all colleges and high schools in the Auckland region are offered a mobile unit on site. "Not all schools wish to have the service. Reasons given have been that the school does not want the disruption to education time."

Schools that chose not to have mobile visits are sent regular updates listing local dentists who will treat adolescents. "There shouldn't be any barriers to adolescents accessing treatment because we're continually providing information on how to get access."

Counties Manukau District Health Board communications advisor Lauren Young says the board has employed an adolescent oral health promoter to help hard-to-reach adolescents register for free dental services. The board is working on how to improve access to dental care for children and adolescents, which includes building up to 70 concrete platforms for dental units.

Auckland District Health Board was unable to provide information on how it will meet the target. However, the board agenda states it will establish four new mobile clinics by June 2011.

None of the boards would name the schools that refused visits by mobile dental units. But parents should be asking.

Lip service

Waitemata District Health Board
Current rate 60.2 per cent. Target for 2010/11 65 per cent

Counties Manukau District Health Board
Current  rate 62 per cent. Target for 2010/11 64 per cent

Auckland District Health Board
Current rate 67.4 per cent. Target for 2010/11 85 per cent

For more info on adolescent dental care, see: www.letstalkteeth.co.nz