A Whāngarei toddler with rotten teeth and a painful abscess was told to sit it out for five months with Pamol and antibiotics because of a huge waiting list for treatment.
Ivy Dyas has a condition which means her teeth are susceptible to decay. Her case is not unusual. She's one of thousands of children with serious dental problems on long public health waiting lists around the country.
In Auckland alone, the number of children waiting to see a specialist or to have surgery is growing and now sits 2,700.
Rowan Quinn reports.
