Bridging the gap: a dental access initiative for Northland children.

This paper describes a dental access initiative in Northland, New Zealand, to investigate the feasibility and benefits of engaging a mobile community dentist to accept referrals of children who required treatment beyond the scope of practice of dental therapists. The pilot programme aimed to provide equitable and timely access to the services of a publicly funded dentist, for children living in the more economically-deprived and rural areas of Northland.