Welfare and dentistry

[Cornfed]

An odd thing about New Zealand is that while we previously had generous welfare, we never had particularly generous welfare for dentistry, and now it is practically non-existent. We are talking about the army performing cheap (not free) extractions here, like you would expect in the third world country that we now are.

Then when I lived in the proximity of Polynesian migrant workers I noticed that they had perfect dentition. Now, since they are not exactly renowned for their aversion to carbohydrates or violence, this always puzzled me. I always wondered who was paying for their dentistry.

Well as one might have guessed, that was a stupid question. Obviously I was paying for their dentistry. The New Zealand government has free programs that provide dental treatment to various island nations that they deny to their own people. Thinking of shit like this makes me want to punch my monitor.

[Contrarian Expatriate]

An odd thing about New Zealand is that while we previously had generous welfare, we never had particularly generous welfare for dentistry, and now it is practically non-existent. We are talking about the army performing cheap (not free) extractions here, like you would expect in the third world country that we now are.

Then when I lived in the proximity of Polynesian migrant workers I noticed that they had perfect dentition. Now, since they are not exactly renowned for their aversion to carbohydrates or violence, this always puzzled me. I always wondered who was paying for their dentistry.

Well as one might have guessed, that was a stupid question. Obviously I was paying for their dentistry. The New Zealand government has free programs that provide dental treatment to various island nations that they deny to their own people. Thinking of shit like this makes me want to punch my monitor.

Dude, you're a rarely employed vagrant who's too angry at the world to be gainfully employed enough to afford decent dental care. So how you can reason that YOU paid for their dental care is beyond me.

I say go ahead and punch your monitor. Not because of the free programs, but because you're a blithering idiot!

[HappyGuy]

The New Zealand government has free programs that provide dental treatment to various island nations that they deny to their own people. Thinking of shit like this makes me want to punch my monitor.

New Zealand is a joke.

when I lived in the proximity of Polynesian migrant workers I noticed that they had perfect dentition. Now, since they are not exactly renowned for their aversion to carbohydrates or violence, this always puzzled me.

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=33828

[Cornfed]

Dude, you're a rarely employed vagrant who's too angry at the world to be gainfully employed enough to afford decent dental care. So how you can reason that YOU paid for their dental care is beyond me.

At the time I was paying a relative fortune in taxes. This is something I forgot to post when I didn't want to say I was from NZ.

[Cornfed]

The New Zealand government has free programs that provide dental treatment to various island nations that they deny to their own people. Thinking of shit like this makes me want to punch my monitor.

New Zealand is a joke.

Yes it certainly is, but what does this have to do with this thread?

[Contrarian Expatriate]

Dude, you're a rarely employed vagrant who's too angry at the world to be gainfully employed enough to afford decent dental care. So how you can reason that YOU paid for their dental care is beyond me.

At the time I was paying a relative fortune in taxes. This is something I forgot to post when I didn't want to say I was from NZ.

That just means you have poor personal finance ability. If you paid a fortune, you obviously made even more. Idiots who don't budget for tax liabilities find themselves in the same predicament.

Stop blaming others for your stupidity!

[Cornfed]

Dude, you're a rarely employed vagrant who's too angry at the world to be gainfully employed enough to afford decent dental care. So how you can reason that YOU paid for their dental care is beyond me.

At the time I was paying a relative fortune in taxes. This is something I forgot to post when I didn't want to say I was from NZ.

That just means you have poor personal finance ability. If you paid a fortune, you obviously made even more.

Right, I did, and I am now living mostly off the proceeds - all declared of course in case you want to report me to the pigs again.

[Contrarian Expatriate]

Dude, you're a rarely employed vagrant who's too angry at the world to be gainfully employed enough to afford decent dental care. So how you can reason that YOU paid for their dental care is beyond me.

At the time I was paying a relative fortune in taxes. This is something I forgot to post when I didn't want to say I was from NZ.

That just means you have poor personal finance ability. If you paid a fortune, you obviously made even more.

Right, I did, and I am now living mostly off the proceeds - all declared of course in case you want to report me to the pigs again.

Fate deals with guys like you quite well enough. No one needs to lift a finger to see your demise come to pass.

[Yohan]

An odd thing about New Zealand is that while we previously had generous welfare, we never had particularly generous welfare for dentistry, and now it is practically non-existent. We are talking about the army performing cheap (not free) extractions here, like you would expect in the third world country that we now are.

National insurance systems are not the same everywhere. Dental care is often excluded or restricted.
Countries like USA and obviously New Zealand too do not offer a good obligatory insurance regarding dental work to their citizens.
Pay or you have no teeth....
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A solution for some citizens of such countries is go to somewhere else abroad and pay much less - Thailand's dentists are quite busy - foreigners enjoy vacation and doing some dental work at the same time....

What Do Thailand Dentists Cost Compared to Australia and New Zealand?

https://www.dentaldepartures.com/dentis ... s/thailand
https://www.dentaldepartures.com/info/t ... s/thailand
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In my own native country, Austria (EU), the national obligatory insurance pays 100 percent for some dental care like necessary surgery in case of suppuration, after accidents etc...also root treatment, filling of teeth, extractions, dentures for the elderly are free...however implants, tooth crowns you have to pay out of your own wallet.
Not so few people from Austria just drive over to Hungary for private dental care regarding crowns and implants, paying less.

USA is also known to be really expensive, and a trip to Mexico makes sense...

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In Japan, national insurance is not cheap, however no age restriction and up to end of life and medical doctor fees and costs of materials, medicine etc. are strictly regulated by the Japanese government. No medical doctor can charge whatever he wants. In case of dentist, the national insurance pays 70 percent even for some kind of metal crowns, bridges, even colored crowns/bridges made by 3D printers. You have to pay 100 percent only for implants and high quality tooth crowns.

Last time in Tokyo about 2 years ago I paid for root treatment and a metal crown for one molar-tooth about USD 150,- (= 30 percent)

One time per year dental service like cleaning and small work like filling a tooth which has a hole etc. are totally free of charge.
About myself, I am now 68 and still have all teeth, but many of them have crowns and one bridge, but so far no implant.

[Yohan]

.....I always wondered who was paying for their dentistry.
Well as one might have guessed, that was a stupid question. Obviously I was paying for their dentistry. The New Zealand government has free programs that provide dental treatment to various island nations that they deny to their own people. Thinking of shit like this makes me want to punch my monitor.

Life is - simply said - not fair.

Some people in rich Western countries are homeless and some people in poor countries are rich beyond imagination.

However you have been abroad already - not sure how many years ago - you should know about the price difference of medical treatment comparing New Zealand with China, South Korea and some other SE Asian countries.

If you have a major dental issue, you are for sure better off to get on an airplane - for example Thailand is fairly good with medical holidays - enjoy 2 weeks vacation abroad and visit daily a dentist to take care of your needs and still face a total bill cheaper than in New Zealand....

Another option, if you do not want to leave New Zealand and have a regular income is only to treat your dental issues slowly, one tooth after the other, every few months, one by one. Teeth treatment is not an emergency, it can be done over many months.