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Over $120,000 Free Dental Treatments on Lumino Day

Monday 27 May 2013, 6:55PM

By Ellis and Co

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The Cocker family wait as mother, Andrea Cocker, receives free treatment at Lumino Mt Eden on Lumino Day.
The Cocker family wait as mother, Andrea Cocker, receives free treatment at Lumino Mt Eden on Lumino Day. Credit: Peter Payne Photographer

One day, 50 dentists, 15 hygienists, 100 support staff,  more than $120,000 worth of free dental treatments and hundreds of happy patients at Lumino The Dentists dental practices around New Zealand.

The inaugural Lumino Day, on Saturday 25 May 2013, was the first initiative between KidsCan and New Zealand’s leading dental provider, Lumino The Dentists, with over $120,000 worth of free dental treatments provided to adult family members of children at participating KidsCan schools. 

Feedback from both dentists and patients was extremely positive and 370 deserving people ended the day with cleaner, healthier and more pain-free smiles. 

Marketing manager for Lumino The Dentists, Kerry Dunphy, said: “The day was such an incredibly uplifting and positive experience, and we were so humbled by the people we met and were able to help on Lumino Day.”

Stories from the day include the first patient at Tamatea Dental in Napier, who bought in a chocolate cake to thank dentist, Tony Dey, who had flown down from Auckland to help out. 

In another anecdote, a patient had been suffering toothache for a couple of weeks, and had just been turned down by the bank for a very small loan which would have allowed him to get dental treatment. His son came home from school with the Lumino Day letter and he couldn’t believe it was true. He was so happy and one of the first patients to book.

Kerry said: “There are also many stories about patients who were crying when they made their appointment, as they were so grateful for the opportunity for free dental care. We hope this year is only the start and that Lumino Day grows into an annual event that continues to benefit some of those who cannot afford dental care.”

ENDS