After an eight-year wait, the Great Barrier Island community is finally celebrating the arrival of a new dentist.
“We are ecstatic to announce that we have a… DENTIST!” the Great Barrier Island Community Health Trust enthusiastically shared, Monday.
Incoming dentist Mike Reardon will be providing regular fly-in, fly-out clinics to island residents starting in mid-November.
Reardon, who is currently Clinical Director at The Oral Care Company in Auckland, will operate from the Community Dental Clinic in Claris.
Residents of the Hauraki Gulf’s most isolated island have faced growing challenges since the last full-time dentist retired in 2016.
For many, the high cost of flights or the lengthy ferry trip to the mainland made regular dental care unattainable.
Earlier this year, resident, Joanna Piekarski, shared how her broken tooth led to a painful nerve issue that kept her awake at night. Without the option to travel, she sought advice from a friend and improvised with a home remedy.
“The pain travelled down the nerve, right to my jaw. I couldn’t go to the mainland, so I had to rely on advice from an off-island dentist,” said Piekarski. Many others shared similar stories, some even resorting to pulling their own teeth due to the lack of accessible care.
“It’s really hard and expensive to leave the island, especially for older people or in emergencies,” one resident shared.
The community health trust is encouraging residents to call 09 524 2494 to make appointments.
