Auckland Children’s Dental-Surgery Waitlist Falls by Two-Thirds

Auckland's children's dental-surgery waitlist has fallen by more than 1,400, from about 2,200 children to 743, its lowest level in years. Additional weekday and Saturday theatre capacity, support for families and closer coordination between hospital and community oral-health teams contributed to the reduction. A publicly funded sedation pilot for children aged five and older has received 340 referrals in eight months, giving them an alternative to hospital treatment under general anaesthetic.