Hawke’s Bay child dental care: 52.4% overdue for scheduled appointments, the worst rate in NZ

PremiumMichaela GowerMultimedia Journalist·Hawkes Bay Today·16 Aug, 2026 06:00 PM4 mins to read‌Siblings Phoenix Ngarotata, from left, with Raven Ngarotata and Malikai Ngarotata need a dentist appointment, but their local Waipukurau children's dentist clinic is closed due to staffing issues. Hawke’s Bay is the worst in New Zealand at providing timely dental care for children, with more than half of the region’s children still overdue to see the dentist. Kerri Nuku and Lewis Ratapu, co-chairs of Iwi-Māori Partnership Board for Hawke’s Bay Tihei Tākitimu, this week issued an urgent