People experiencing homelessness in Westminster and Camden benefitted from a visiting mobile dental clinic last November.
Launched by charity Dentaid in partnership with Bupa Dental Care, the team offered free dental treatment to those most in need.
This was the first time ever that Dentaid offered its services in the capital.
Armed with help from Single Homeless Project and The Passage, they reached out to people at risk of rough sleeping and those vulnerably housed.
High demand
Andy Evans, Dentaid CEO, said: ‘It’s been absolutely brilliant to come up to London and see so many patients.
‘It’s one thing that we’ve been wanting to do for a while but finding the right organisation to support us has been difficult.
‘It’s been really needed and well received. The guys we’re dealing with are housed patients who have been in the accommodation for anything from two to five years. A lot of them are actually rough sleepers and so haven’t seen a dentist in many, many years.’
He added: ‘The need is really, really big here…but it’s about money. It costs a lot to be here. There are significant charges just to drive into London.
‘If we can find the right support to deliver the care, then we will. It’s great thanks to Bupa Dental Care that we are able to run these clinics. Hopefully this will be an ongoing relationship and we can continue to work in London.’
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‘Fantastic’ efforts
Dr Anthony Sweeney, a regional clinical director for Bupa, was one of the dentists carrying out treatment.
‘The team have been fantastic setting everything up for us,’ he said.
‘It’s great just to help some people where we can. Dentaid have been brilliant and really easy to work with.
‘We’ve seen a range of people needing our help…some have been more nervous than others. But they’ve been really glad to get something done.’
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