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Free dental clinics in the Whanganui region have been swamped by whānau who say oral health care has been out of their reach for years.

Hauora providers say the free clinics revealed the severity of dental health issues among Māori and the extreme need for access to treatment.

Nearly 400 people were seen by volunteer dentists during the school holidays in a six-day, iwi-led hauora Māori initiative.

The dental work included hundreds of extractions and fillings. Many patients had multiple extractions, including one person who needed 14 teeth pulled out.

An estimated $150,000 worth of treatment was provided.

Te Oranganui mātaiwhetū / chief executive Wheturangi Walsh-Tapiata said many people without appointments had to be turned away and more than 100 patients were referred to an oral health surgeon at the hospital.

"They had much more extensive issues that needed to be addressed," Walsh-Tapiata said.

"We're going to have to work with them to try to ensure that they get access to those more specialist services."

Te Oranganui mātaiwhetū/chief executive Wheturangi Walsh-Tapiata. (Source: Supplied via LDR)

Iwi health providers heard stories about the barriers preventing patients from accessing dental health care more frequently, and the consequences of that for their oral and overall health.

Many had not seen a dentist since primary school. The most severe case had 14 extractions, and another had their three remaining teeth removed so they could get dentures.

Some had performed their own extractions using fishing line or pliers.

"The stories they're telling us are incredibly sad. Many just can't afford it.

"They had to choose other priorities like paying bills or putting kai on the table — or, in the case of whānau in our rural areas, they couldn't afford to travel to a dentist."

Others were afraid of dental treatment or "whakamā" (ashamed) because of the state of their teeth.

Walsh-Tapiata said patients were grateful to be treated, and many were overwhelmed.

"We've been inundated by people who have not had good oral health and been in pain for a long period of time."

The first clinic in Ohakune had four dental chairs in use and saw nearly 150 people, with 124 receiving treatment.

"They came from as far as Hiruharama up the river, Raetihi, Waiouru and the Taihape area. We were just blown away by the number."

Four chairs in Castlecliff, Whanganui, were fully booked the following weekend, with 170 patients from Ngā Rauru, Tūpoho, Tamaūpoko, Ngā Wairiki and Ngāti Apa.

Referrals to the three-day clinics in Ohakune and Whanganui were made by iwi hauora providers and the clinics were fully booked ahead of time.

Walsh-Tapiata said providers had tried to contain the number of referrals "because we could only see a certain number of people".

Despite that, news spread and kaimahi in Whanganui were swamped by more than 200 phone calls and people walking in off the street.

"We only touched the tip of the iceberg," Walsh-Tapiata said.

Stevie-Nyx Ruki works on a patient at Cliff Dental in Castlecliff, Whanganui. (Source: Supplied via LDR)

The initiative was organised by regional iwi and health leadership group Te Hononga and iwi hauora providers, funded by Te Whatu Ora, and run as a collaboration between Te Whatu Ora Whanganui, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), local dentists and Te Oranganui — a health and social services provider governed by four iwi entities.

In Ohakune, the local dentist volunteered her time on a Sunday, and low-cost Castlecliff practice Cliff Dental provided free treatment for two days.

Hauora providers were especially grateful for the support of the NZDF, whose dental staff treated patients at both sites, Walsh-Tapiata said.

"They offered all their dental staff throughout New Zealand the opportunity to come and volunteer, so we had their people from Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington and even Australia.

"We wouldn't have been able to do this without them, or the support from Te Whatu Ora Whanganui, who gave us their mobile dental clinics."

Patients were also offered a free health check, including blood pressure readings, and rongoā kaimahi provided mirimiri (massage).

Called Menemene Mai (Smile), the initiative was organised after a Te Oranganui survey indicated oral health was a key concern for whānau.

"Having events like this are critical to our community but ongoing services on a regular basis is our ultimate goal."

Walsh-Tapiata said hauora providers hoped to secure government funding for a permanent mobile oral health clinic that could circulate throughout the region to provide free care.