Financial Barriers Forcing Wairarapa Whānau to Endure Extreme Dental Pain

“Oral health and primary care are two of our absolute top health priorities for the Wairarapa rohe,” says Dr Marise Stuart, Co-chair of Te Karu o te Ika. “What this report shows is that our whānau are not neglecting their health by choice; they are being systematically locked out by cost and environments that do not feel safe or welcoming. Services [such as Tō Waha] which uphold patient dignity, naturally build trust with, and promote ongoing health service utilisation by communities which may have previously had low access. Services which address such community need should be scaled up permanently. No one in our community should have to live in constant physical pain because they cannot afford an appointment.”

Despite the hidden crisis of dental neglect, the report highlights a clear path forward. The Tō Waha initiative achieved an exceptionally high satisfaction rate by providing low-cost treatment within a locally-led, whānau-centred environment. Participants overwhelmingly described the mobile service as “welcoming”, “safe”, and “non-judgmental”. All of which are elements that significantly reduced long-held dental anxiety.

Te Karu o te Ika is calling on health funders and local providers to back the report’s recommendations. These include ongoing investment in permanent, accessible, and community-based dental clinics, alongside stronger integration between dental services, general practitioners, and Māori health providers to address shared access issues.

“Tō Waha proved that when you bring dignified care directly to the people, whānau will engage. We need sustainable funding for these innovative models, not just one-off treatments, if we want to change long-term health outcomes in Wairarapa,” General Manager Andrea Rutene concludes.

“The realities highlighted in the Tō Waha report exemplify the need to prioritise dental health as recommended by the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee (the Komiti). In its last report, the Komiti noted that Māori tamariki continue to have more decayed, missing and filled teeth than European children. The Komiti further encouraged Health New Zealand to focus on improving access to dental health services for tamariki Māori, including mobilised services,” says Tā Mark Solomon, Chairperson – Hauora Maori Advisory Committee.