Dental costs have risen 23% since Covid

The 2023 Fee Survey, conducted by the New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA), shows dentist prices have risen steeply over the past 3 years.

A composite crown has gone up from $432 to $502 (16%), a single tooth extraction from $247 to $291 (18%) and a root filling for a molar tooth from $1,200 to $1,481 (23%).

When the survey was last conducted in 2020, a typical dentist appointment including an exam, x-ray, 15-minute clean and composite filling over two surfaces would have set you back $428, according to the national median.

Now, that same treatment will set you back $526 .

That's an increase of 23% at a time when many are already struggling with inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, including increasing mortgage rates and rents, increases to weekly food, petrol and power bills, and many other necessities.

Dentist fees also vary depending on where you live. Find out the average dentist procedure costs for your area in 2024.

Why have prices gone up so much?

Increasing fees, according to one expert, is pushing a regular 6-monthly check-up at the dentist out of reach for many – even for those with a steady job and good salary.

Dr Mo Amso, chief executive of the NZDA, isn't shocked by the steep rise in dental fees.

"If you look at how much inflation has gone up over the past few years, it's no surprise at all," he says.

He points to a rise in the minimum wage, as well as the impacts of Covid, supply chain constraints and shipping costs influencing the cost of going to the dentist.

"There’s very little, to no, government funding,” he says. “You're basically having to recoup your expenses to earn a living.”

Those price rises, he says, have a direct impact on how often people go to the dentist.

In our recent summer issue of Consumer, we found 42% of New Zealanders couldn’t afford to go to the dentist, a number that rose to over 50% for Māori and Pasifika, according to a June 2022 study by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists.

"It definitely is [a struggle] for what we call the ‘pinched middle’," says Amso. "They are [having] more and more increased costs, but their salaries … aren’t going up to match.”

Rugby player Alice Soper told us she hadn’t visited the dentist in 6 years. She was put off by the lack of clarity around the cost of a visit.

"There's no conversation about payment plans," she told us. "There isn't any sensitivity around the way that that is delivered. You turn up for a mystery amount in the chair. They tell you what that is. And that's the end of the conversation."

Consumer's investigation surveyed a dozen dentists around the country and found Soper's claim to be true. Just one dental practice advertised its prices on its website, and the rest told us to book an appointment to find out how much work needed doing and what that work might cost.

For someone on a budget, like Soper, not knowing how much a trip to the dentist may cost is a big barrier to not going in the first place.

Ways to manage rising dental costs

So, what's the official advice for those who believe they can't afford to go?

When it comes to dental work, prevention is better than the cure, says Amso.

He advises people to try and put aside $10 a week. "If you're working and earning ... it's doable," he says.

That will give you $520 a year, almost the $526 Consumer estimates a trip to the dentist may cost you in 2024.

But even Amso admits that’s a lot of money.

What about those who may find even one trip a year a stretch?

Where to get help with dental costs

Dental work remains free for under-18s, and treatment can be organised through schools.

But wait lists are long and dental disease has become among the leading causes of hospital admission for children.

ACC may cover dental treatment caused by an accident.

Dental treatment is available through hospitals for those with a Community Services Card.

For those over 18 on low incomes and benefits, annual grants of up to $1,000 a year are available for urgent dental care.

For more expensive work, loans are available. These need to be paid back.

Amso says many dentists offer payment plans, and can stagger work to fit your budget.

"Ask the dentist, 'What do I need to do in the next month, in the next 2-3 months, in the next 6 months, and then next year?'" he says.

"At least you'll be able to know what what's coming ahead and you can manage your finances.”

Amso was pleased to see New Zealand’s sorry dental statistics become politicised at the last election, with some political parties pledging to improve access to dental care for New Zealanders.

National, Act and New Zealand First, who comprise the new government, did not offer dental policies.

Amso believes change will come, but it’s going to take time.

“It was very pleasing to see political gravitas and political will to do something about an issue that's long been ignored,” he says.

“Something needs to change.”