With a mouthful of tooth pain and struggling to make ends meet, a single dad felt he was out of options.

He took a pair of pliers and crushed one of the troublesome teeth, then pulled out broken bits of enamel.

But there were still sharp shards stuck in there, so he bought bits for his drill, got drunk and ground the rest of the tooth down into his gum. The sickening story is just one of what a Hamilton dentist describes as an every-day occurrence in New Zealand, where she says dental problems are now at a "third-world" level.

TOM LEE/FAIRFAX NZ Assil Russell, co-founder of dental charity Revive a Smile, says poor New Zealanders are presenting "third world" dental problems (file photo).

Assil Russell, co-founder of charity dentist Revive a Smile, says the issue is so bad she has started a petition, calling for a dentistry subsidy for those unable to afford dental care.

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In the case of the desperate father, the pain persisted and when he was treated by Revive a Smile two years later, his wisdom tooth was infected.

His isn't an isolated case, Russell said, adding Kiwis all over New Zealand are suffering "third world" dental problems.

"These stories aren't one-in-every-hundred, these are really common occurrences that we find every day," Russell said.

"Serious infections, people trying to do DIY dentistry and take out their own teeth. It causes major complications."

Revive a Smile is a dental charity, partnered by Southern Cross Health Trust, providing free treatment, check-ups and products for at-risk or low-income groups.

It has treated almost 10,000 adults for free since it began in 2012.

Russell's petition aims to get 10,000 signatures. She hopes to present it to Parliament in October.

"Now is the time to bring, the dental crisis really, to the attention of policy-makers."

Her patients include victims of domestic violence, homeless, the elderly, low-income families and students. Many have been living with rotten teeth and severe tooth pain for years.

"Dentistry has become for the rich ... it's being treated as a luxury."

The Work and Income grant of $300 that some people are eligible for hasn't changed since 1996, Russell said.

Gum disease has been linked to heart disease, dementia and pregnancy complications, among other illnesses.

Long term, a subsidy could save the Government a lot of money, Russell said.

"If you're in pain all the time, you can get depressed, you can't get into employment, you can't function, your relationships are affected."

The charity is inundated with applications, Russell said.

"It's heartbreaking, it's frustrating. Often you feel like you're not doing enough."

For those already struggling to make ends meet, dental care is low on the priority list.

It's not that dentists are overcharging, Russell said. But unlike a GP visit, the cost falls full on the patient, whether they can afford it or not.

"It's not a free-for-all, it's a subsidy."

New Zealand Dental Association chief executive Dr David Crum said while he rarely hears about cases of DIY dentistry - and in those cases usually it's accompanied with alcohol use - poverty is clearly linked to dental disease.

"A sector of our community are really poor and still have high disease rates."

Last year, about half of New Zealanders saw a dentist. A quarter of those who didn't see a dentist say they didn't see the need to. The other quarter said cost was stopping them.

"For many, many people it is a priority issue. But for some there really is a need to have some Government assistance.

"The poor suffer more than others in terms of getting medical or dental treatment."

Minister of Health David Clark was unavailable for an interview on Monday, but in a statement said it's unlikely that there will be significant change over the line in making subsidised dental treatment more widely available.

"I would like to see more affordable access, we have a huge, unmet need in dental care.

"We have people struggling with third-world health conditions as a result of bad dental hygiene and inability to access the care and treatment they need," Clark said.

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