Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Initiative lets teens smile with confidence

By Kristin Edge
Reporter·Northern Advocate·
24 Oct, 2012 07:37 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Two lucky Northland teens will have the chance to get free braces but the catch is they'll have to volunteer in their community in exchange for a beautiful straight smile.

People aged between 11 and 18 who cannot afford orthodontic treatment can apply to the Wish for a Smile Trust to fix severe orthodontic problems which would costs thousands of dollars.

In the next few months about 45 young people will start treatment nationwide, thanks to more than 40 orthodontists, in exchange for voluntary work.

Northlanders are being encouraged to make an application.

Dr Wayne Dalley and Dr Rachel Moore, of Northland Orthodontics, based in Whangarei, said they believed braces could change lives forever and can make a huge difference to a child through increased self-esteem and an optimistic future outlook.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's not a free ride, they have to give back to their community. It may be through work at an old people's home or in a pensioner's garden," Mr Dalley said.

"The whole idea is they value the treatment and acknowledge the community who is giving them this benefit."

Mr Dalley said the initiative recognised the fact there were children who needed orthodontic treatment but were unable to receive it.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A pilot programme ran in Auckland for 12 months and was a success and just this month had been opened to orthodontists across the country.

Dr Moore said orthodontists had always done some pro bono work or gave their time to provide hospital services and this initiative was a way of formalising that work and putting it on a community basis.

She said the benefits of a straight smile were amazing.

"A poor smile can really impact on a child. Just to see their confidence grow and watch them bloom makes it all worthwhile. It sets them up on the right path for the rest of their lives," she said.

Application are made through the website and are considered by a committee. The local orthodontists have no say in who is selected and begin treatment once the two teens have been chosen. Dr Moore encouraged teachers and others in the community to nominate some one they know.

The Wish for a Smile Trust is a public health initiative of the New Zealand Association of Orthodontists. The trust aims to make specialist orthodontic treatment available to young New Zealanders who would otherwise be unable to access orthodontic care. People or service groups can make donations to the trust.

For more information and an application form check out www.orthodontists.org.nz

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales

Northern Advocate

'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi

Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales
Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales

More than 170 customers south of Cape Rēinga are still without power.

17 Jul 08:26 AM
'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi
Northern Advocate

'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi

17 Jul 06:02 AM
Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime
Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime

17 Jul 04:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP