Hamilton dentists are giving those who can't afford dental care something to smile about.
The Revive a Smile project has been designed to give people back their smile, and dentists at River Road Dental Centre have been working with refugees such as Columbian Jaime Lara who came to New Zealand nearly three years ago.
In Columbia he ended up with a broken tooth causing him a lot of pain. He was referred by Patricia Novoa, a settlement support coordinator for the Waikato Migrant Resource Centre.
"I received [notice] saying there was this project and there was an opportunity for dental care. We know we needed dental treatment but we had other priorities, so we always put it last.
"That was always a dream and I thought when our situation was better and we were working then we would go."
He said his children - a daughter, 8, and son, 5 - would always look at his tooth, then one day when he came home his daughter asked who fixed it and said "the lady must be an angel".
"When they talked to us about coming to New Zealand, that became a reality, our whole life changed. Everything we have received since we've been here has been a blessing."
He said it was difficult to be up rooted from his home, to leave his friends and family. "You have a project in your life, then one day every thing changes."
Dentist Assil Russell, who started the project, said when she first met Jaime he was suffering from chronic toothache and broken teeth because he had been assaulted in Colombia before coming to New Zealand.
"He is a great example of the Kiwi spirit, putting his family first and working hard to provide for his two young children. He is an inspiration to me and I feel blessed to have been able to restore his smile. It's the least I could do."
The aim of the project is to improve the overall dental health care of the patient, to improve their quality of life.
Mr Lara is now studying English. Having worked in mechanical engineering back in Columbia, he plans to return to it and will take a paper to learn the differences in New Zealand.
He said when he speaks of going back to Columbia, his daughter says she does not want to return now considers this home. "I live in New Zealand I am a New Zealander."
Started by Assil and her father Amir she said she was taken back by the suffering. "I came across many genuinely hard working Kiwis struggling to make ends meet and living with toothache. In New Zealand, although some treatment is subsidised by the Ministry of Health, those requiring extensive treatment are often unable to get enough funding by WINZ grants and their dental problems go untreated."
She said the project was formed using the model of "caring creates change" and while a student, she set up ICARE medical charity for children in Iraq, then using the same ideology to start Revive a Smile, "Both ICARE and Revive a Smile are still going strong and helping those in need both in Iraq and New Zealand.
"The project has grown in the past couple of years mostly due to the generosity of Hamiltonians and our volunteers [and] dental professionals who donate their time and skills to give back to the community."
Pak N Save Clarence St and Independent Dental Supplies had donated toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash and floss giving each patient the tools needed to maintain their oral health at home. Local shuttle company, Aerolink Shuttles, offered to transport clients to and from appointments. The project works on a referral basis and there is special criteria that patients must meet, but once the patient is enrolled they do everything they can to turn their oral health around.