Homeless communities and those on low incomes from the Far North to Waikato will now go without the dental care they need after burglars trashed a popular charity’s mobile dentist trailer.
The Revive a Smile Charity is pleading for the public’s help to locate thousands of dollars’ worth of dental instruments, drills, an x-ray sensor, medication, an AED defibrillator and laptops all stolen between April 8 and 10.
Their Hamilton-based trailer was parked inside school grounds on Bankwood Rd, Fairfield when police said burglars broke in and wiped it out.
“It’s hard not to cry about it, I know it’s just material things but it’s hit us where it hurts. This is a place where we come to serve people, to help people,” said founder Assil Russell.
The endodontist and her team offer care from Kaeo in the Far North to Hamilton and everywhere in between.
“We see homeless people, we see refugees who don’t speak English, we see people from women’s refuge and shelters, people from all walks of life. This… just meant we have to stop now, we can’t work,” said Dr Russell.