No Bills, No Barriers: Inside our free dental service

Since opening its doors in July last year, our new dental service has been breaking down long-standing barriers to dental care for our community, so people can finally access the treatment they need. Dental Assistant & Service Coordinator Joanne Samu Ikitau and Lead Dentist Dr Hugh Trengrove reflect on the difference the service is making.

For many in our community, dental care has long been out of reach. Our new service was established to change that: providing free, trauma-informed dental treatment in a safe and familiar environment.

“Good oral health is a basic right and leads to better health outcomes and better social outcomes. It's a really fundamental part of the health services we should provide to everybody and the Mission is a leader in this.” - Dr Hugh Trengrove

“People come in who’ve never been to a dentist, even when they’re in pain - because of the cost or a fear of going to the dentist” explains Joanne.

Currently operating three days a week, the service is supported by a team of skilled volunteer dentists providing general procedures including fillings, scaling and polishing, and extractions. But it’s not just about the treatment — the care begins with making sure patients feel safe and supported.

As the only full-time member of the dental team, Joanne plays a vital role in building relationships with patients and creating continuity.

“Our patients can be quite anxious, we even have some people crying. So we take the time to build trust and make them feel comfortable – and our patients leave with a smile!”

The high demand for the service so far reflects the level of need in our community. In the first seven months, 384 dental appointments were provided by our volunteer dentists. The service is currently booked out a month and a half in advance - although dental emergencies can be seen within a week.

Hugh reflects on the feedback from patients so far: “What the clients like is that the service is delivered in a safe environment, by people who care and who are kind - who provide the care that they, as an individual, need. They like that it's not an extraction-only service. But what they like the best is that it costs nothing - it's completely free!”

Patients are supported to claim the first $1,000 of treatment costs from the WINZ Immediate and Essential Dental Care grant. Because the dentists are all giving their time for free, any additional costs can be covered by the Mission. For our patients, that means no bills, no debt and fewer barriers standing between them and the treatment they need.

Joanne can already see the difference the dental service is making to the health and general wellbeing of the patients. “We had someone come in who had been in pain for two years. For him, alcohol had helped relieve the constant pain. After we did the extractions for him, he said, “I don't have to drink anymore!"

“As well as preventing painful dental emergencies, this care is helping our whānau improve their overall health, restore their dignity and regain confidence.”

However, the journey back to good oral health can be complex and take time.

“We see a lot of tooth decay, abscesses, gum disease, missing teeth and complex surgical requirements,” Hugh explains. “So many people need to come back for multiple appointments. Of the clients we’ve seen so far, we've only completed the care for 45 so far - because their needs are so great.” 

We are actively recruiting more volunteer dentists to increase operating hours and expand the range of treatments available to our patients. The next major step is dentures.

“Missing teeth is a real issue for low-income and marginalised communities, because the normal service available to them is pulling the tooth out.” says Hugh. “We have over a hundred patients here who need dentures, so they can eat properly, smile again, speak without lisping and for their own self dignity, self care and health. In the next couple months, we’ll be piloting free dentures for our patients. Nobody else does that.”

In the longer term, the vision is to focus on prevention as well as treatment — supporting our community to look after their oral health and reduce the likelihood of future dental issues.

This service reflects the Mission’s ongoing commitment to health equity – by improving access to essential healthcare for the people who need it the most.