Dental Team visits Taveuni in August 2023
The Rotary Club of Taveuni is excited to welcome a team of four dentists from New Zealand who will be visiting Taveuni to improve the dental health of our younger adults in the North and East of our beautiful island. Travelling with the team will be an oral educator, Rachel Smith, a dental hygienist (preventative educator) and an administrator, Diane Lawrence.
The project commenced on August 7th, 2023, led by Dr Gary Lawrence. (pictured). The full story of their visit will be reported here in the weeks to come. The dental team will be visiting schools from Lavena to Naselesele. Click or tap on the village below for stories and photos
| Lavena Primary School Pictures and stories |
| Bouma District School Pictures and stories |
| Wainikeli District School Pictures and stories |
| Naselesele Primary School Pictures and stories |
THE TEAM:
Dentists:
- Dr Gary Lawrence
- Dr Peter Langley
- Dr Mary Engelbrecht
- Dr Ricky Gee
Educators/Hygienists/Admin:
- Diane Lawrence (Administrator)
- Rachel Smith (Dental Hygienist/Oral Educator)
Thank you to Colgate Palmolive for the generous donation shown in the accompanying photo. Students at the various primary schools will receive dental care, advice on good dental health AND a gift pack provided by Colgate.
The Rotary Club of Taveuni thank Colgate Palmolive for their generous donation.
The dental team biography and personal history.
GARY LAWRENCE: Born in the Manawatu, brought up on a farm with an older and younger brother, schooled in Palmerston North and attended Massey University and then transferred to the Otago Dental School
I graduated as a dental surgeon at Otago University in 1976 and began general practice in Levin, then Australia, then spent a year travelling the world with my wife, Diane.
We settled in Raumati South, a suburb of Paraparaumu in 1980. Whilst building a large practice we raised two sons now 42 & 40 years of age. We have 4 grandchildren. I am still working full time as a Dental Surgeon.
I joined the Kapiti Rotary club in 1984 and have remained a member since that time. A fellow classmate and Rotarian from Pukekohe, Johnston Luen introduced me to the volunteer dentists working in Taveuni in 2010. I have been volunteering on Taveuni every 2 years (apart from the Covid restricted years) since that time with my sixth visit in August, again as team leader.
As a dentist, we spend our entire working life helping people with their dental problems. To volunteer, helping children with their dental needs in a country with less opportunities for better health outcomes is a no-brainer. We can simply export our skills to better their lives. One only needs to have empathy, compassion and an attitude of service above self.
My leisure time is taken up with sporting activities, especially golf when the body and time permit. Boating/fishing has been a big part of my spare time over the last 30 years. I enjoy cycling both pedaling and motorized. Supporting the grandchildren in their endeavors is so rewarding!
Diane Lawrence: I am 72 years old and have been married to Gary for 48 years.
We live next to the sea in a small town called Raumati South which is on the Kapiti Coast in the lower North Island. The population of Kapiti Coast is around 57 thousand people. We have lived in the area since January 1980.
Gary and I have 2 sons Karl and Ryan. They are both married to lovely ladies. They have provided us with 4 amazing grandchildren.
I am the eldest of 9 children, so as you can imagine we have huge family gatherings. I am very family orientated. I have worked in the dental industry for the last 43 years — during this time I have been a Practise Manager for the entire time. Running an extremely busy dental practise comprising of 4 dental surgeons, 1 dental hygienist and 10 support staff. Patient and staff welfare being the upmost importance.
Early on, I gained my New Zealand Dental Assistant Badge certificate and can assist the dentists.
My hobbies include Golfing, Walking/Tramping, Cycling, Photography, Reading.
We spend most weekends watching our grandchildren participate in sports so follow: Rugby, Soccer, Basketball, Ballet, and Gymnastics.
Peter Langley: I have owned and operated a family orientated dental surgery in Hamilton, NZ, for 42 years from 1976-2018. I graduated from Otago University NZ along with our team leader Gary Lawrence.
On previous occasions I have been involved in free dentistry days to our local community. My wife Elisabeth Cornille was a team member in the last outreach to Taveuni in 2018. I am now semi-retired but still enjoy dentistry and I am looking forward to offering my dentistry skills to the children of Taveuni Island.
Rachel Smith: is currently practising as a casual Dental Hygienist. Upon graduating Dental Hygiene at Otago in 1997 she joined Cathrine Lloyd and associates in Wellington where she remained for 25 years. During her career, Rachel has mentored and trained Dental Hygienists to best practice standards. She has experience in dental hygiene program development and corporate practice consultation on the Dental Hygiene Advisory Committee for Lumino the Dentists. Rachel has been a committed advocate for a stronger dental hygiene focus in dental practice and the dental team. Her philosophy is founded in preventative care and has advocated that dental hygiene education as paramount to improving the oral health of New Zealanders. This commitment to social education is expressed through Rachel’s volunteer work to treat and educate children in poverty in Quito Ecuador and locally with the Ngati Pahauwera Iwi in Wairoa.
Rachel has served as Chairperson for the Wellington NZDHA and is a member of the AUT accreditation committee for the Dental Council, advising on curriculum and standards that uphold what she knows as best practice standards in the field. In 2019 Rachel was appointed to the delegation of the IFDH and represented New Zealand on an international level.
In 2020, the opportunity arose for health professionals to join the covid response force, Rachel took this chance to try something different, and trained to become a vaccinator, which then lead to additional employment for the DHB in a vaccination hub.
Mary Engelbrecht: graduated with her BDS at the University of Otago in 2018 and has since been practicing general dentistry. She enjoys providing a range of oral healthcare and especially finds reward in helping people with relief of pain and preventive dentistry. In 2023, this will be Mary’s first visit to Taveuni, Fiji and she is really looking forward to being part of this amazing project of providing voluntary dental care.
Time to go home
The people of Taveuni will be forever grateful for this dental team’s visit to our island. Here they are pictured in Nadi on their way back to New Zealand with some of their equipment.
