A Dargaville couple has bought the town’s only dental clinic after it recently closed — leaving locals with no option but a four-hour round trip to Whangārei.
But the challenge remains, there are no dentists.
The Far North faces an escalating shortage of essential health professionals from dentists to physiotherapists and hygienists.
Julie and Rodney Cotton told Breakfast that they were trying to fill the gap but they couldn't find any dentists to join them.
"It's just appalling actually, I've never seen anything like it. Dargaville services a large area and I know of many whānau pulling their teeth out with pliers, God knows what they're taking for pain relief," said Julie.
"It's just shocking in 2024 that these communities have no access to oral healthcare."
Julie and Rodney Cotton have bought the Dargaville dental building as the community rallies to provide care. (Source: Breakfast)
Rodney said that initially the pair thought it would be an easy process to secure the clinic and find a health professional.
"Then we started looking for dentists, and we could not find any — zero."
Next, Rodney would be travelling to the Philippines in search of a dentist. He said it was unlikely a dentist there would fit the "strict criteria", but Julie hoped the Government could help them to meet New Zealand qualifications.
"Quite frankly, we never realised the burden. It probably would have been easier to hurl ourselves into a pit of snakes. We thought it would be a simple process, it is far from it."
"We'd just like some help," said Julie.
Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson was reportedly trying to organise a meeting with Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Minister for Regional Development Shane Jones to discuss the issue.
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