DIY Dentistry Becoming More Common in New Zealand
A father from Glenn Innes who asked his son to pull his tooth out claims that DIY dentistry is becoming more common in New Zealand because people cannot afford to see a dentist.
Tevita Mahe took a shot of Bourbon before his son pulled out a decayed tooth using pliers because he could no longer tolerate the pain and could not afford to pay for a dentist to perform the extraction. Mahe had already been turned away by two healthcare providers before resorting to the amateur procedure. He spent three hours queuing at the emergency dental clinic at Middlemore Hospital but was turned away because they had already reached their daily quota and was also turned away from the clinic on Southern Cross Campus because they were fully booked.
Mahe said he had no choice but to ask his son to take the tooth out, as he had already lost two days’ wages and could not afford to take anymore time off because he has a disabled daughter to care for.
Clive Ross, director of oral health at Auckland District Health Board, said that patients who cannot afford regular dental care were encouraged to visit the emergency clinics at Middlemore Hospital, Greenlane Clinical Centre and Southern Cross Buckland Road.
The government already spends millions of dollars on the dental care system every year, however, Health Ministry chief dental officer, Robyn Haisman-Welsh, said that health boards should look into ways of creating better access to affordable dental services for low income patients.
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