In the remote village of Daku on Viti Levu Island of Fiji there's not much to smile about when it comes to dental health.

So a group of dental staff from Waikato Hospital plan to put the smiles back on locals' faces when they travel to Daku next year – but they need your help to raise $15,000 to get there.

The Island Of Smiles Dental Charitable Trust team, from left: Shonal Stevhen, Graham Jull, June Crawford, Sarah Twine and Andrea Champion. Absent: Marguerite Paterson and Ryan Smit. Photo: Supplied.

The Island Of Smiles Dental Charitable Trust consists of dental health professionals who have worked in Waikato Hospital's Department of Oral Surgery, Maxillofacial, and Dental.

It is a voluntary team of past and present house surgeons, dentists and dental assistants who all have the common goal of improving oral health in deprived and remote regions of the Pacific.

Waikato Hospital dental surgeon Dr Marguerite Paterson, who will travel to Daku with six of her colleagues, says for the majority of villagers it will be the first time they have ever seen a dentist.

'We will have four days based in a hall with running water and electricity, which the village has made available for our use. We plan to treat 60 patients per day.

'Villagers and local schools will be aware that we are coming and when, so we can maximise the number of patients we see.”

There is poor oral hygiene in In Daku and the surrounding areas, with many suffering from a variety ailments, and due to its remoteness locals struggle to access emergency hospital dental treatment.

The team plan to adopt a 'production line” delivery of treatment, with patients examined and then directed to the appropriate team member for treatment, including minor oral surgery.

Marguerite says elders of the community will act as interpreters and assist in reassuring nervous patients.

'Our primary objective is to treat adults at our clinic, but our dental assistant Andrea Champion will accompany a local contact on visits to local schools to educate both teachers and students on basic oral hygiene.”

That education will cover healthy diet as well as introducing a lunchtime tooth brushing programme to each school, and provide them with basic dental hygiene packs.

Dental education is the key and the team hopes to gain the support of head teachers and elders to carry on when they have left so the next generation enjoys better dental health, says Marguerite.

The team travelling to Daku are house surgeons Dr Ryan Smit, Dr Marguerite Paterson and Dr Sarah Twine, plus senior dentist Dr Graeme Jull.

Joining them are dental assistants Shonal Stevhen and Andrea Champion, plus head dental assistant and Island Of Smiles programme coordinator June Crawford.

They fly out of Auckland on March 27, 2015, and the clinic starts operating in Daku on March 29.

To help The Island Of Smiles Dental Charitable Trust get to Daku in Fiji you can make a donation via the team's their Givealittle webpage: www.givealittle.co.nz/member/Islandofsmiles1

To send messages of support, ask questions or for more information email [email protected]

Waikato Hospital dental surgeon Dr Marguerite Paterson