An innovative project has been launched by NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight in a partnership to alleviate pressure on existing dental services and increase access to care for those facing difficult circumstances.
Patients including families experiencing poverty, people at risk of homelessness, children, and new and expectant mothers in areas at highest risk of poor dental health will be able to make appointments to see the dentist on a mobile dental unit. Emergency appointments will also be available for eligible patients who are suffering acute pain and have no other access to dental care.
Dentaid’s mobile dental units will be parking outside community centres, public buildings and sports facilities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Eligible patients will be invited to make appointments to see the dentist onboard who will provide check-ups and oral cancer screening, oral health advice and emergency care including extractions and fillings. All treatment will be free of charge.
The service is for Hampshire and Isle of Wight residents facing health inequalities who have no other access to dental services. Agencies including support services, community groups, GP practices, foodbanks, charity partners and 111 will be signposting eligible patients to make an appointment.
The partnership will provide clinics across Hampshire and Isle of Wight over 18 months. The first clinics will take place in Southampton, Havant, Cosham and Portsmouth followed by the Isle of Wight in March and other areas of Hampshire later in the year. The service is designed to help communities at the highest risk of social exclusion to access dental screening, advice and urgent care.
“As a charity we are focussed on giving the most vulnerable people in our communities the best possible chance of seeing a dentist and for many years we have been providing mobile dental services in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight for people experiencing homelessness, head and neck cancer patients, looked after children and survivors of abuse,” said CEO of Dentaid the Dental Charity, Andy Evans.
“This pioneering partnership with NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight will enable us to significantly upscale our work, reaching new communities and giving thousands more Hampshire and Isle of Wight residents who face health inequalities the opportunity to access care. By taking charity dental units into communities where our patients can use other support services, we are helping to break down some of the barriers people face when it comes to seeing a dentist.”
Director of Pharmacy, Optometry and Dentistry at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Simon Cooper, said: “We are really pleased to be funding this project and partnering with Dentaid The Dental Charity on this innovative approach to provide dentistry for those who need it most. Since we took on the responsibility for dentistry last year, we have been looking at ways we can ensure better access to NHS dental care for everyone living in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
“By targeting dental care at those living in more deprived communities, we will reach those with the highest risk of poor dental quality. We can then focus further investment on other patients who are currently unable to access an NHS dentist.”
Appointments will be required, and the service is only for eligible Hampshire and Isle of Wight residents who don’t already have a dentist. Cosmetic treatments such as tooth whitening will not be available.