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Health Targets

Quarterly Reports
Improving Oral Health Target


Summaries from the target champion and detailed information on the national progress towards this target is provided below:

 Specific information on each DHB's progress towards this target is provided on their individual pages. You can access them on the Targets by DHB page.

Full year - 2007/08

07/08 Target Achievement - we are on the way to 85%


1800 more adolescents accessed dental services in the 2007 calendar year than in 2006. This means that 167,567 young people or 58.7% of eligible adolescents are now enrolled in adolescent oral health services against a national Health Target of 59%.

Information on adolescent enrolment is based on claiming information from dentists and dental therapists in the community. Hospital-based dentists also provide care for those with complex conditions, including some disabilities that cannot be provided by community-based services.


Proportion of adolescents receiving oral health services 2007, and District Health Board target 2007/08


Graph of the proportion of adolescents receiving oral health services 2007, and District Health Board target 2007/08.

National oral health adolescent utilisation trend


Graph of the national oral health adolescent utilisation trend.

Quarter Three 2007/08

Summary from the Target Champion
DHBs continue to focus on increasing access to oral health services for adolescents by:
  • working with dentists and other health providers who contract to provide adolescent oral health services
  • raising awareness of the services with adolescents and parents
  • planning to enhance child and adolescent oral health services delivered by the DHB.

Data on the level of utilisation of oral health services by adolescents in calendar year 2007 will be compiled after the data to the end of June 2008 becomes available. Accurate information does not become available until providers have had the opportunity to submit their claims for payment.

Detailed information

Data for this target is collected annually therefore there is no data available for Quarter Three.

View graphs showing the proportion of adolescents in New Zealand using dental services on years 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 in the Oral Health section.

Quarter Two 2007/08

Summary from the Target Champion
DHBs continue making progress to improve adolescent oral health utilisation.

This target is measured annually and the next results will be available in the first quarter of 2008/09.

Detailed information

Data for this target is collected annually therefore there is no data available for Quarter Two.

View graphs showing the proportion of adolescents in New Zealand using dental services on years 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 in the Oral Health section.

Quarter One 2007/08

Summary from the Target Champion
DHBs are committed to improving access to oral health services. All DHBs are focused on improving child and adolescent oral health services by developing business and service plans to implement changes in oral health services, and to address issues that were identified in review reports in 2004 and 2005.

Highlights include:
  • between 2005 and 2006 adolescents using dental services increased in 16 District Health Boards
  • access increased in most North Island DHBs, where access levels have traditionally been lower
  • 58.3 percent of eligible adolescents accessed dental services in 2006, from 53.7 percent in 2005, or 2548 additional adolescents seeking dental care in 2006 from 2005
  • one DHB has achieved the national target of 85 percent of adolescents using oral health services each year, and three DHBs had more than 75 percent of adolescents using oral health services in 2006.

More work needs to be done to achieve the national target, and to improve the community's understanding and awareness of the availability of adolescent oral health services. The 2006 results provide a good basis for further improvement.

Detailed information

Data not available for Quarter One.

View graphs showing the proportion of adolescents in New Zealand using dental services on years 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 in the Oral Health section.Page last updated: 17 October 2008


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