Mo Amso: Dental Association CEO on the waitlist for young people needing dental surgeries

The waiting list for young people needing dental surgeries has been stuck around four thousand for the past year. Te Whatu Ora data released to Newstalk ZB shows hardly any movement between April last year and the end of March this year on the waiting list for children aged 14 and under. Dental Association Chief Executive Mo Amso says there are three main issues at play: lack of prevention efforts, workforce shortages, and access to care challenges. He says some children are ending up needing more complex care in a hospital than they would if they'd been treated earlier. Amso says these numbers are increasing at such a rapid rate, it's becoming impossible to make a dent in them without any signifcant government or policy intervention. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.