Westport gets creative in search for a dentist

DWC spent the day filming alongside the Trust, making the most of a beautiful Westport winter’s day to showcase the town at its best.

The shoot was a community effort, with local John Coleman roped in to play the role of dentist, a number of local businesses and homeowners opening their doors for filming, and even Buller Mayor Jamie Cleine making a cameo.

DWC Marketing and Communications Manager, Aaron Rees, also thanked Vanessa Neighbours at the Westport News for producing a custom front page prop, which became a feature in the video.

As Chair of the Buller Health Trust, Cleine had initially reached out to DWC to help create a recruitment ad with a bit more cut-through, recognising the need for something different to grab attention.

The video’s release comes at a timely moment, coinciding with the New Zealand Dental Association presenting the country’s first oral health strategy in nearly 20 years to Parliament. The ‘Roadmap towards better oral health’ highlights what West Coast residents already know too well, there is a nationwide shortage of dentists, particularly in rural areas.

According to Te Whatu Ora’s Health Workforce Plan 2024, New Zealand is short around 380 full-time equivalent dentists and oral surgeons, around 15% of total need.

The NZDA’s new strategy notes that while dentist numbers grew between 2012 and 2024, the dentist-to-population ratio actually fell, with many practitioners now working nearly 19% more hours each week to meet demand. In rural areas, over 60% of dentists reported working heavier workloads than they would like.

“We’re already seeing a lot of national media interest in the video, which is helping showcase the great lifestyle opportunities here on the Coast, and hopefully attract another dentist!" he said.