Unlike other parts of the health system, the government doesn't subsidise dental care for adults, meaning a trip to the dentist can put a serious dent in people's pockets.

Earlier this month, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) released a report that found 40 percent of New Zealanders can't afford dental care.

ASMS chief executive Sarah Dalton says dentists and family doctors are quite similar, in that their practices run as businesses.

"The difference is that GPs have a subsidy, a partial payment from the government for the services they provide. Dentists do not, so it's a fully privatised service," she says. Read more