''Scott (Waghorn) is from Matauri Bay. He's always wanted to come home; it's been his dream to come home and serve his people by providing a free service," Healey said, adding that patients were prioritised by need, but there were no other criteria.
''You don't need a community services card, you don't need whakapapa. There's no agenda. If you're in pain we can help," he said.
The Kaikohe site had one dentist, one hygienist and one technician. Two young Kaikohe women had been employed to train as dental technicians; a receptionist and an operations manager had also been hired locally.
Healey said the service was not a one-off. Equipment had been bought for a permanent clinic, and he was looking for premises.
After a month it was likely the service would switch to a koha system, patients paying what they could afford, and once a permanent Kaikohe clinic was up and running the service would expand to other sites around Northland.
Healey said the response so far had been ''off the chart,'' patients ranging from 3-year-old children to 80-year-old kaumātua and kuia. With no private dental service in Kaikohe for more than a year, some had been waiting months to see a dentist in Kerikeri or Whangārei.
It wasn't just the cost of dentistry that stopped people seeking help. Driving to another town for treatment also meant giving up a day's work for many people.
''And you can't blame Covid. This situation existed before Covid,'' he said.
Waghorn was funding the initiative out of his own pocket for now. Despite that, Healey said the longer-term business model was ''totally viable.''
Dentist Jiman Han said the lack of a local dental service had led to a huge disparity between need and supply.
''So we're just really glad to get here and help. A lot of people have been putting off dental work because of the cost, and a lot of teeth that could have been saved can't be saved any more, so the only option left is to extract. At least we can remove their pain," he said.
Far North District councillor Moko Tepania said the need in his home town was huge. He put up a social media post about the service on Tuesday last week, telling whānau there was no need to be scared or embarrassed, and within 24 hours he'd reached 5800 people.
''This is an awesome kaupapa for our community. I'm hoping it's the beginning of something, not a flash in the pan," he said.
The mobile clinic, parked at 116 Broadway, was less intimidating than a "flash" dental surgery in Kerikeri, and saved time and transport costs.
Tepania said Work and Income could cover dental expenses, but many people had already ''maxed out'' the extra help available due to lost income during the lockdown.
Amanda Johnston, president of the Northland branch of the NZ Dental Association, said the Mid North was a busy area with not enough services for the population. Kaikohe had not had a private clinic since the last dentist sold up in 2019, so the district health board was operating an oral health hub for children and adolescents. It also offered treatment for pain relief to people with community service cards.
Anyone who wasn't eligible had to travel to Kerikeri or Whangārei.
Johnston hoped whichever government was elected next month would provide extra help to deprived areas, and prioritise measures such as sugar reduction and fluoridation to help prevent decay in the first place.
''Prevention is the best way to go,'' she said.
It's not the first time Waghorn has tried to set up a free service in Northland. Last month, while Auckland was still in level 3 lockdown, a convoy of dental caravans was turned back at the Northland 'border' for reasons that remain unclear.
Healey maintained that all Covid protocols had been followed and the paperwork was in order; Te Rūnanga-a-iwi o Ngāpuhi, the tribe's governing body, said it didn't know the convoy was coming and hadn't issued any instructions for it to turn back, although chief executive Sam Napia said it was the wrong time to bring the service up from Auckland.
Waghorn, who has been described as 'the Lance O'Sullivan of dentistry,' after the outspoken former Kaitaia GP, is standing for the Opportunities Party in Tai Tokerau in next month's election.
