General Debate: Tariana Turia, co-leader, Maori Party

Wednesday 13 June 2007

Oral Health

Tena koe Madam Speaker, tena tatou katoa.

The General Debate must be the worst hour of the week in the House - an hour where people are slagged off for five minutes at a time. There is no policy debate and no one smiles. It is all based on the politics of nothing.

There is a Nat King Cole song that goes:

Smile, what’s the use of crying?
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile

And so it would seem.

All the psychological studies tell us that doors open to people who smile. People listen to people who smile. Employers look favourably on job applicants who smile.

So today I want to talk about a serious primary health issue and I have to say how disappointed I was when the Minister of Health today said that he did not believe that oral health issues were as significant as other primary health issues.

Yet we in the Maori electorates know the significance that poor oral health plays and its impact on the overall well-being in our communities. It affects something as simple as trying to get a job, if someone smiles and people see the damage to that person's teeth at that time.

Two days ago in my electorate, I spent time with dental health providers who told me about being constantly blocked in their ambition to provide quality dentistry to lower socio-economic and vulnerable communities.

And it’s not the first time that a dental health provider has raised these issues with me.

They showed me the policy spin– the Minister's pledge to address: 'Maori, Pacific, rural and low socio-economic populations all showing progressively poorer oral health” and they shared with me their ideas around providing services which address the very real barriers of cost, of access and of fear.

But despite their innovation; despite their commitment; they keep getting turned away.

· The District Health Boards say there is no money for low income adults;

· Work and Income's subsidies are limited to the relief of pain and infection – preventive oral health is not a priority;

· Essential dental contracts for infection and pain for community card holders are in fact, being denied.

They shared with me their belief that their services can reduce the pervasive inequalities, as most dental disease is preventable.

Oral health is a core health service issue. We know that it is linked to other chronic health conditions, such as cardio-vascular disease, malignant melanomas may appear orally; ulcers can indicate deficiencies in vitamin B or C; infections may present first in the mouth.

The World Health Organisation has defined oral health to the extent to which, and I quote,

“an individual (can) eat, speak and socialize without discomfort pain or embarrassment for a life time and which contributes to general well-being".

It seems such a simple wish, a humble aspiration to eat, speak and smile.

We have providers out there who want to meet these humble aspirations. We know it can be in done.

In Rotorua for instance, a mobile dental clinic operates under Lakes District Health Board – and there is another two chair mobile dental clinic which Tipu Ora will shortly be rolling out – servicing low income families and schools. In Whakatane, there are six mobile dental clinics covering Tauranga, Whakatane, Te Kaha, Murupara through to Ruatahuna.

And yet in Te Tai Hauauru, which has providers out there ready and willing, with mobile clinics too, they are told it is not a key priority.

The Maori Party believes we can and must return to a time in which Maori again have the finest teeth of any existing race. A time when closing the gaps takes on another meaning – reducing regional difference; addressing whanau ora; and helping people to smile again.

This is a Government policy which would go down well and I urge those Maori Members on the other side of the House who are talking and not listening to me, to introduce this into their communities, and it might help them to do well in the next election.

ENDS

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