A £1 million fund has been launched to deliver dental treatment to society's most vulnerable people, while also supporting underrepresented groups in pursuing careers within the dental profession. The mydentist Foundation will back charitable organisations helping those recovering from addiction or living in extreme poverty.
Eco-friendly mobile dental unit
Its first initiative will be the launch of an eco-friendly mobile dental unit, which will provide care for rough sleepers, survivors of abuse and vulnerable women. In its first year, more than 850 of the hardest-to-reach individuals from communities across the country will be seen on board by volunteer dentists and dental nurses.
The mobile unit will primarily visit hostels and crisis accommodation, community centres, family hubs, refuges and soup kitchens. Treatments including fillings, extractions, scaling and polishing, fluoride varnish applications, X-rays and oral cancer screenings will all be available on the vehicle, which is due to hit the road in October.
Career pathways and partnership
Alongside this, the fund will open doors for aspiring dental professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds. These career pathways include a dental scholarship scheme, helping gifted students through their BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) university qualification, as well as apprenticeships supporting dental nurses who wish to progress into roles as hygienists and therapists.
The £1 million launch is a partnership between mydentist, the UK's largest dental operator, and Dentaid, The Dental Charity.
Public awareness and support
It follows a study of 2,000 adults which found that four in 10 Brits had no idea about the difficulties faced by society's most vulnerable people, including women at risk and survivors of abuse, when attempting to access dental treatment. More than half (53%) admitted to being 'surprised' to discover that thousands of disadvantaged people across the UK depend on charities and specialist outreach services.
Nilesh Pandya, chief executive officer of the affordable dental care provider, which also commissioned the survey, said: "While many people take access to a dentist for granted, those facing complex challenges such as addiction, homelessness and poor health, getting the care they need can be incredibly difficult, often leading to years of untreated pain and deteriorating oral health. The findings also highlighted a lack of understanding around some of the less visible challenges people can face when trying to attend regular dental appointments."
Four in 10 believed it should fall to the UK Government to tackle the barriers to dental care encountered by vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. When it came to potential solutions, reduced treatment costs came out on top, with 52% identifying it as the measure most likely to improve access, according to OnePoll figures.
Greater NHS appointments and mobile dental clinics were each backed by 46%, underlining the demand for improved accessibility and outreach services. Community outreach programmes (27%), clearer information about available assistance (26%) and specialist support services (20%) were also among the measures people felt would make a difference.
Nine in 10 (91%) agreed everyone in the UK should be able to access dental care regardless of their circumstances.
Nilesh Pandya, chief executive officer of mydentist, added: "It's encouraging to see such strong support for improving access to dental care for those who need it most. Through our new foundation and partnership with Dentaid, we're committed to helping vulnerable and underserved communities access the treatment they need and deserve. By supporting outreach services, we hope to help tackle oral health inequalities and reach people who might otherwise go without care. We will also support talented people from different walks of life to pursue careers within dentistry, including financial support, mentoring and development opportunities."
