Kā pao te tōrea: Opportunities to Improve Oral Health Services for Māori

Colonisation continues to shape Indigenous health outcomes today. Māori are the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand, and experience barriers to accessing care and a greater prevalence of dental caries, periodontal diseases, and tooth loss compared with non-Māori. This study investigated how Māori adults want oral healthcare services to be delivered in their community.

Participants who lived in Rotorua (affiliated to Ngāti Whakaue hapū and Te Arawa iwi) were invited to a wānanga, facilitated by two Māori dental practitioners from the hapū, to explore experiences of services and barriers, and opportunities to improve oral health service delivery for Māori adults. Thematic analysis was conducted. Participant voices were centred to ensure that solutions were culturally responsive.

Seventeen whānau members participated. Five themes were identified: (1) childhood experiences influence engagement as adults; (2) culturally safe oral healthcare; (3) access to the Māori oral health workforce; (4) world-class iwi and hapū kaupapa Māori facility; and (5) iwi-led oral health data to drive service delivery. The themes highlighted an urgent need for changes in oral health service delivery for Māori communities, as well as the importance of Māori community strengths.

Oral health services should deliver care in a culturally safe environment that upholds Māori knowledge and tikanga. There is a need for Māori-led dental services, as well as innovative approaches to grow the Māori oral health workforce. Evidence-based approaches are required to ensure that service delivery is responding to community realities. Iwi- and hapū-led data collection mechanisms could help to achieve this.