Waikato children are benefiting from an intiative providing free dental surgery

Last month, Newstalk ZB revealed just over five and a half thousand children are on the waiting list - and more than half have been waiting more than four months.

Surgeons donate their time, and Braemar Charitable Trust cover the other costs so the surgeries can go ahead at Braemar Hospital in Hamilton.

Paediatric dentist Katie Ayers says this work has a big impact - because children who are waiting, are usually in pain.

She says they don't understand it's not how their mouth is supposed to feel - and the whole family is impacted when they can't eat or sleep properly.