Dentist Hadleigh Reid working during the free dental clinic organised by Māori health providers in Whanganui over the weekend. Photo / Caleb Kingi
Dentist Hadleigh Reid working during the free dental clinic organised by Māori health providers in Whanganui over the weekend. Photo / Caleb Kingi
Almost 400 people have been treated at a free dental clinic in the wider Whanganui region, with one dentist saying patients have performed their own extractions to avoid dental costs.
Last weekend, 170 patients were seen at the clinic in Whanganui, with a further 100 patients assessed but in need of further work. A week before, 124 patients were seen in Ohakune.
Te Oranganui chief executive Wheturangi Walsh-Tapiata said people travelled from as far as Waverley to attend appointments.
Te Oranganui chief executive Wheturangi Walsh-Tapiata says patients were overwhelmingly grateful to receive treatment. Photo / Caleb Kingi
At Cliff Dental, a Castlecliff practice supporting the mobile clinic, the waiting room was crammed with patients arriving early for appointments.
“We were inundated with phone calls, inundated with people walking in off the street and asking if they could have an appointment,” Walsh-Tapiata said.
But she felt they were “only touching the tip of the iceberg”.
Cliff Dental dentist Paris Butters, who has worked at the practice for two years, said she had never seen the waiting room so packed.
“Everyone was so excited and really appreciative of the day.”
Iwi providers organised the list of patients who were booked in for hour-long sessions, with dentists performing extensive work such as extractions, fillings or restorations.
“We did as much as we could during the time.”
Cliff Dental dentist Paris Butters says there needs to be better education around dental hygiene to improve oral health. Photo / Eva de Jong
Butters had observed most patients at her practice booked appointments only when they were in pain and they could not afford to come in for regular check-ups.
This meant patients often had more complex or traumatising treatments, such as extractions or root canals, when they were seen.
Most of the people at the clinic had not been to the dentist since primary school, she said.
“I’d say it was pretty similar to what I see here, and I wasn’t surprised.
“The cost is just so high that people don’t want to come here unless they really have to.
“And then most of the time when they do come, it’s too late.”
Cliff Dental practice administrator Santana Takurua said they saw 53 patients at the clinic.
“We did 43 extractions, 23 fillings and 23 hygienist cleans.”
Butters said she had seen cases of people performing their own extractions to avoid paying for a dentist appointment.
It usually resulted in the tooth being snapped off and the nerve dying, with half of the tooth left in the bone.
“They still have to come in and get the rest of it out.”
Walsh-Tapiata said the clinic saw some cases where people who had already lost teeth decided to extract their lower teeth and be fitted for a plate or dentures.
The service was organised by Te Hononga — a group of health community leaders funded by Te Whatu Ora — and was a collaboration between Ngāti Rangi, Te Oranganui Trust, Cliff Dental and the NZ Defence Force.
Walsh-Tapiata said she felt that the success of the clinic came down to it being run by iwi hauora (health) Māori providers for primarily Māori patients.
Visitors to the clinic commented that they “felt relaxed” in the environment with Māori music playing, she said.
“They said to us we are really pleased that you as a collective, or iwi hauora Māori providers, organised this because we knew you, we felt comfortable with you.”
Aquilla Ngahere being treated by NZ Army dental officer Mary Engelbrecht at the free mobile dental clinic in Whanganui. Photo / Eva de Jong
Walsh-Tapiata said patients were overwhelmingly grateful for the treatment.
There were 100 people on the wait list for free appointments over the weekend but not all of them were able to be seen.
“Certainly for those who walked in, we still offered them the opportunity to do a health check, to have a miri [massage] and to participate in a conversation with us.”
In response to a question about improving oral health in the Whanganui region, Butters said there needed to be better education around dental hygiene.
