Last month the Trinity Koha Dental Clinic operated out of a converted shipping container at LifeZone Church in Judea and Whaioranga Trust in Welcome Bay helping those with "urgent oral health issues".
The programme was run by non-for-profit YWAM Ships Aotearoa (YSA) after a pilot earlier this year that served almost 500 people in Kawerau, Welcome Bay and Pukehina.
YSA managing director Marty Emmett said that the clinics were "amazing but overwhelming" as he realised they had "barely scratched the surface of the need in our region".
He said in the pilot programme more than 200 people had been placed on the waitlist by the second day.
He realised how these problems could "disrupt every part of your life", with many patients living with "horrendous pain and discomfort".
Some locals who attended the clinics had been "pulling their own teeth out", he said. And others were unable to eat and losing sleep due to the pain.
"We all knew there was a need but personally I had no comprehension of the scale of that need.
"We want to give back dignity to people so they can actually function in their lives."
Emmett said there was a real "access issue" due to the cost and shame felt by people. Many patients were receiving treatments that would have cost between $4000 to $7000.
"We have people with urgent needs who simply cannot and will never afford it."
Schulz said many clients who attended the clinic had not seen a dentist for more than 10 years. Photo / George Novak
One 33-year-old woman who attended the Judea clinic had "severe anxiety" about seeing a dentist, convinced she would lose all her front teeth.
But after four extractions and six fillings, a volunteer dentist was able to completely rebuild her front teeth.
Clinic coordinator Emily Schulz found the woman in the post-op room crying.
"She told me she'd spent 10 minutes looking at her new teeth in the bathroom mirror, just crying. She felt like she'd been given her life back," said Schulz.
"She told us that she had never felt confident enough to apply for a higher-paid customer-facing role and was so excited that she would now be able to apply for one.
And she said many other clients who attended the clinic had not seen a dentist for more than 10 years and needed all their teeth extracted, with one 58-year-old Judea man having 22 teeth removed.
The non-for-profit was working with community groups to fund dentures for this man.
The clinics were entirely volunteer-run, with a mix of around 20 local and out-of-town dentists volunteering their time. Some travelled from as far afield as Nelson, Wellington and Palmerston North.
New Zealand Dental Association Waikato Bay of Plenty branch president Fiona Paterson, who volunteered at the clinic, said the patients she treated were "exceptionally grateful".
"It just makes you so happy. They were very heartfelt, and beyond grateful," she said.
Patients were happy to wait for hours to be treated, with some having been in pain for prolonged time periods.
"They really are at the bottom of the cliff," said the Tauranga dentist.
"These are the kind of people who want to make help more people."
She said after treatment it was important to provide oral health education to patients to prevent family members from getting into similar situations.
BayTrust, Acorn Foundation and Trinity Lands also sponsored the initiative, with one Acorn donor contributing $10,000.
Emmett said now it was their focus to "do more" to help address the unmet need in the region. He said they needed local dentists and dental assistants who were willing to volunteer their time.
"When you become aware of an issue, there is the obligation of doing something about it."
