By Tilly Walder
The Island’s dental crisis has reached the point where a charity that provides dental treatment to third world countries is having to step in.
Already identified as a ‘dental desert’, the Island has lost a further five NHS dental practices in the past year, leading to a situation Healthwatch has described as “a huge reduction in care”.
A new partnership has been formed between the NHS and Southampton-based charity, Dentaid, which will provide a new mobile dental unit. But what will it do, and who is it for?
Potential patients include families experiencing poverty, rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness, children, and new and expectant mothers – in short those entitled to free NHS dental treatment. There will also be a referral service for people entitled to free treatment, but who have not yet completed the necessary paperwork. Emergency appointments will be available for eligible patients, as will free treatment, but the service will not be available to the thousands of Islanders simply unable to find an NHS dentist.
Healthwatch Isle of Wight has revealed the bus will be on the Island for five days a month, starting in March, and will visit Newport, Ryde, Sandown and West Wight.
The charity’s accounts last year shows a total income of £1,131, 254 with a total expenditure of £1,067,495 – With £323.65k being spent on raising funds.
The service isn’t using charity volunteers – it’s wholly funded by the NHS. They have paid for the mobile unit, and charity Dentaid has been commissioned to provide the treatments.
Director of dentistry at NHS Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Simon Cooper, said: “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 currently unable to access an NHS dentist.”
Dentaid works to reduce oral pain in more than 70 countries, including the UK, through treatment, training, equipment donations and education. As of the end of 2023, the charity had 25 employees and 750 volunteers.
The new scheme enables qualified dentists and dental nurses to provide care and treatment to those in need, without all the paperwork and business considerations involved in running an NHS dentist practise. Some of those working in the new scheme have volunteered in the past for Dentaid.
In the UK the charity predominantly serves homeless and vulnerable people, and more recently has been used to treat migrants and asylum seekers.
CEO of Dentaid, Andy Evans, said: “For many years we have been providing mobile dental services for people experiencing homelessness, head and neck cancer patients, looked after children and survivors of abuse.
“This pioneering partnership with NHS Hampshire & Isle of Wight will enable us to significantly upscale our work.”
Jill Harding, head of communications, added: “Our phones haven’t stopped ringing. “People have been really excited to finally get a dentist appointment, some of them for the first time in years.”
Dentaid can be contacted on 01794 324249 or email them at info@dentaid.org.
Isle of Wight Observer