#regional: Free Dental Clinics Expose Growing Oral Health Crisis in Tairāwhiti

A free dental care initiative in Tairāwhiti has more than tripled the number of people it is helping, highlighting what health leaders say is a significant unmet need for affordable oral healthcare across the region.

Iwi health provider Tūranga Health partnered with the mobile dental service Trinity Koha to deliver free dental clinics for whānau across Gisborne. New results show the programme expanded dramatically between 2024 and 2025, reflecting overwhelming community demand for accessible dental care.

In its first year, the initiative delivered 207 treatments to 40 patients over five days. By 2025, that had grown to 605 treatments for 178 patients across 10 clinic days—an increase of more than 346 percent in the programme’s reach. Volunteer dentists regularly worked between eight and 12 hours a day to meet demand.

Tūranga Health Chief Executive Reweti Ropiha says the demand has been exponential and reflects the reality that many whānau simply cannot afford routine dental care. Community engagement consistently identified dental care, alongside eye care and access to flu vaccinations, as some of the biggest unmet health needs in Tairāwhiti.

The clinics formed part of Tūranga Health’s wider winter readiness programme, taking services directly into communities through a mobile dental caravan. Rather than operating solely from traditional health facilities, clinics were established in community locations such as Te Karaka Hall and Manutuke Domain, helping reduce barriers and making dental visits feel less intimidating for whānau.

The programme specifically targeted some of the region’s most vulnerable residents, including young mothers, people experiencing mental health or addiction challenges, and those living with chronic health conditions. Staff proactively contacted eligible whānau and provided wraparound support, including transport, dental hygiene education, flu vaccinations and other practical assistance to ensure people could attend appointments.

During the 2025 clinics, dentists completed 135 scale and polish treatments, 109 tooth extractions and 99 restorative procedures, alongside routine dental examinations and other essential care. Māori made up 81 percent of those accessing the service, reflecting longstanding inequities in oral health outcomes.

The programme’s findings reinforce national data showing Māori are less likely than non-Māori to rate their oral health as good or excellent. Cost remains the biggest barrier to accessing dental care, with childcare responsibilities, transport, travel and taking time away from work also preventing many people from seeking treatment until problems become severe.

The evaluation accompanying the initiative calls for dentistry to become a much higher priority within New Zealand’s public health system, arguing that investment in preventative and community-based oral healthcare could reduce future hospital admissions and improve long-term health outcomes.

With demand continuing to grow, Tūranga Health says the free dental clinics will return next year, providing another opportunity for whānau who might otherwise go without treatment.

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