Desperate people are queuing at hospital pain clinics because they can't afford the dentist - and some health bosses are now backing free dental care.

Waitematā DHB has revealed it wants a "comprehensive dental service for all New Zealanders".

Chief executive Dr Dale Bramley said the Ministry of Health is already considering how dental care could be included in the public health service, and has urged DHB's to support it.

President election of the NZ Dental Association, Katie Ayers told Mike Hosking free, or subsidies dental care would make a huge difference.

"We would love to see free dental care for everyone, but I'm not sure that's realistic financially, so what we would really like to see is subsidised dentistry for low-income New Zealanders."

However, she said there are a lot of questions and details which need to be worked out. 

"There are various ways of means testing, I think the easiest thing to do unusually is to work with the Community Service card which will help those that are the worst off in our society."

"We would need to have some policy about what would be included in the free care, but we would really like to see it extending from just the relief of pain only to more of a basic dental care for those that need it."

She said it's a massive problem for New Zealand and is especially bad for young adults and elderly people.

"It's massive, it's a really massive problem. We've got not only adults who can't afford treatment earlier on in life, but we have also got a mounting problem with the elderly who tend to keep their teeth longer now."

Ayers said she would also like to see more "preventative care" as well.