Auckland Dental Association president Dr Lance Mundy says rising business costs are being passed on to patients.
Dargaville is without a dentist, meaning rural residents have to drive for several hours to get to the nearest practice.
"By not supporting people to access dental care when they first need it, we are simpling putting the costs down the road."
"We desperately need to address the dental workforce problems that we're facing."
University of Otago research found that by five, 60 percent of Māori and 70 percent of Pasifika children already had some tooth decay.
"We need to say, 'actually it's not okay that so many of our children can't chew, can't sleep, can't eat, can't play, because their teeth hurt'."
The number of children who have missed their free routine dental check-up in Auckland due to COVID-19 restrictions has hit a record high.
"So keep kissing if you want nice breath and healthy teeth."
Most of the children were waiting to see a specialist dentist.
