How the Maori community sees the dental-care system

This report has addressed the question of how the Maori community sees the system of oral health care by indicating the complex factors influencing the Maori community's attitude toward health issues. These factors preclude the Maori community from many of the perceived benefits of the present oral health-care system. There is a need in this current climate of debate over health policies to re-focus on primary prevention policies that will be relevant to the Maori community of today. No one is seen in the Maori community to be articulating concern for oral health issues. The challenge for the Dental Council of New Zealand is how then to create a focus on oral health issues within the Maori community, and to actively promote oral health care and encourage usage of a system that is affordable, available, accessible, and appropriate. Practical and relevant recommendations arising from Rapuora: Health and Maori Women 1984 and the Hui Hauora Mokopuna, 1990(10) should be considered when planning future health-care systems. Health was one of the four key areas highlighted in the Ka Awatea report, and it will be an important feature of the work of the new Ministry of Maori Development. It is timely that the Dental Council of New Zealand and the Ministry of Maori Development should facilitate oral health-care systems for the future in partnership with the Maori community.