Experts warn of school-based oral health crisis by 2025

Experts warn of school-based oral health crisis by 2025

An aging workforce could lead to the demise of school-based community oral health care services for children and adolescents living in rural areas by 2025, a recent survey has revealed.

The National Dental Therapy Workforce Age Profile by District Health Board (DHB) survey found more than 50 percent of the public oral health care workforce is aged over 50 years and may consider retirement within the next 10 years.

The survey was completed by members of the New Zealand School and Community Oral Health Services Society (The Society), and canvassed the nation’s 791 dental therapists working in the public health sector.

The Society is urging the Ministry of Health, and DHBs to develop a cohesive plan to ensure a sustainable public oral health care service is available and accessible to all school-age children.

President of The Society Pip Zammit says there is great concern that many children will be unable to access the dental care they need should a community oral health service not be available in schools.

In 2012, 34,000 New Zealand children had one or multiple teeth extracted due to dental decay and 5,050 children aged seven years or under had a general anaesthetic for dental reasons, according to the Ministry of Health report: Admissions to New Zealand: Public Hospitals for Dental Care, A 20 Year Review.

“These statistics are alarming and will only get worse if children cannot access school-based community oral health care services. If we do not develop a cohesive plan to ensure the viability of our public oral health care services then we are letting down New Zealand families, particularly those living in rural New Zealand,” says Zammit.

In New Zealand basic dental care is free for all school children up to 17 years of age. This care is provided by members of The Society employed by the nation’s DHBs.

According to the survey, rural/regional areas of New Zealand are most susceptible to losing school-based community oral health care services due to the number of dental therapists aged over 50 years rising to 68 percent.

Zammit says Canterbury is one of the worst areas affected by the aging workforce crisis with 77 percent of oral health professionals aged over 50 years. Wairarapa, Northland, Hawke’s Bay, Wanganui and the West Coast also show significant signs of an aging workforce.

Younger age groups are generally more dominant in urban areas such as Auckland, Hutt Valley and the Waikato.

“There are a number of regional DHBs that have job vacancies but we are struggling to recruit graduates in these areas because there is a natural reluctance among young professionals to move away from central urban zones,” says Zammit.

“A school-based community oral health care service is vital, particularly to low socioeconomic families and those living in regional areas where children may not be able to access this level of care should it not be available in our schools.

“If we cannot successfully recruit and attract graduates to these areas, children living in rural and regional New Zealand will lose an important public health service.”

Graduates aged 20-29 years currently make up 18 percent of New Zealand’s public oral health workforce (135 staff). Only 4.4 percent of the total workforce (35 staff) is aged over 65 years.

Zammit described the survey results as “alarming” and that it presented “a bleak outlook” for the public oral health care system over the next five to 10 years.

“We knew the average age of dental therapists was high in New Zealand but we weren’t aware of just how serious this problem was,” she says.

“The survey results highlight a significant threat because if we can’t maintain a strong public oral health care workforce, the DHBs will not be able to maintain this service nationwide.”

Zammit says members of The Society will highlight the nation’s vulnerability to Health Workforce NZ and DHBs by preparing a comprehensive report in conjunction with professional associations and universities.

The report will outline strategic priorities and develop an implementation plan to ensure the community oral health service and workforce is sustainable going forward.

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