Residents of Wairoa have to drive 117 kilometers to see a dentist.
Dentiq has been the only private dental practice in the town of Hawke’s Bay for years. But the business was sold in March to Esskay Dental Ltd and is now only open one day a week for denture check-ups.
This means Wairoa residents who need other types of appointments must travel 94km to Gisborne or 117km to Napier.
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Wairoa resident Shane Dalgliesh was a patient at the clinic and called to make a reservation last Friday for a check-up. He received a voicemail indicating that the practice was no longer taking bookings.
“As you walk past you can see the x-ray machine at the window, but there’s no one there.”
Dalgliesh understood there were challenges finding a dentist to move to Wairoa, but he said residents face their own challenges.
“It’s a significant cost to get to Napier or Gisborne – you would basically have to take the day off for a check-up. It’s just another obstacle that we don’t need.
Dalgliesh said dental care was an essential service in Wairoa, especially for young children.
Georgia May Gilbertson / Stuff
Dentiq was sold in March this year, but there is no dentist, meaning Wairoa residents have to travel to Napier or Gisborne for an appointment.
A woman walking past the practice called the closure “pathetic”.
“My last visit was in October because I heard the dentist was moving, but nothing has happened since. At least older people can get their dentures checked. But if someone has an accident and breaks a tooth, he has to travel for miles.
The woman said most people travel to Gisborne for a date as it is a less strenuous journey than to Napier.
Georgia May Gilbertson / Stuff
The private dental clinic is only open on Fridays for dental examinations.
Sheryl Gallagher tried to make an appointment with the clinic three weeks ago after suffering from a toothache but also received the voicemail refusing bookings.
She called two clinics in Gisborne. One was not taking any new patients and the other said no appointments were available until December 18.
“I told them how much pain I was in, and they put me on the emergency list and said they could fit me in, but it was there and then – like in an hour. So I had to drop everything and drive to Gisborne.
Gallagher said the tooth needed to be extracted. But her car recently broke down and with only one bus running that didn’t match her work schedule, she had to wait until the New Year for another appointment.
Former Dentiq manager in Wairoa, Alagusundar Jagadeesan, owned the practice for eight years before selling it to Esskay Dental Ltd in March so he could focus on his practice in Greenmeadows, Napier.
Georgia May Gilbertson / Stuff
Dentiq was sold in March this year, but there is no dentist, meaning Wairoa residents have to travel to Napier or Gisborne for an appointment.
The firm had more than 2,000 clients when it was sold.
“Jagadeesan hopes the new owners will be back up and running, so Wairoa residents don’t miss out on quality health care,” Dentiq spokeswoman Colleen Wilkinson said.
Dentiq had no direct involvement in the new practice, but Jagadeesan had provided dental services to Wairoa once a week until September, while the new owners sought to attract a dentist to move into the practice, Wilkinson said.
Thing has made several attempts to contact the new owner, but has yet to respond.
Adult dental care in New Zealand is generally not publicly funded, but there are some specific exceptions.
New Zealand Dental Association president Dr Katie Ayers said it seemed like a small community like Wairoa couldn’t afford the costs associated with running a dental practice.
RNZ
An attempt to capture the current health status of children has brought to light a grim picture of increasing dental disease, skin infections and respiratory problems.
“We are aware of this issue as we helped secure funding for a mobile service…to provide emergency/urgent care.”
The Hawke’s Bay District Health Board’s director of community, women’s and children’s services, Claire Caddy, said she hopes the new owners will soon take over adult dental service.
Caddy said the community dental center based at Wairoa College was available to anyone under the age of 18.
GPs could provide painkillers and antibiotics for adults and had also referred people to dentists in Napier, Hastings and Gisborne for ongoing care.
“Hawke’s Bay Hospital dentists have also increased their visits to the Wairoa Community Dentistry Center to care for inpatients who live in Wairoa.”
Caddy said the community dental center has increased its staff from two to three clinicians.
