A dental charity has returned to Dewsbury to mark 10 years of providing life-changing care to vulnerable people in Yorkshire and across the UK.
Dentaid The Dental Charity provided care for people experiencing homelessness and addiction at the charity Kirklees in Recovery on its mobile dental unit on Wednesday 3 December.
Since Dentaid first visited Dewsbury 10 years ago, it’s grown into a national charity with a fleet of charity dental units that this year will deliver more than 1,300 outreach dental clinics for people experiencing homelessness, harm, poverty and abuse.
The charity has come a long way since its first clinic in Dewsbury in 2015 when local dentist Nick O’Donovan opened his practice every Thursday evening to treat people unable to access traditional care because of issues related to homelessness and poverty.
The success of this pilot scheme and the generosity of the volunteers who gave up their time to help those in greatest need, led Dentaid to purchase its first mobile dental unit shortly afterwards.
‘A fantastic feeling and an achievement we are truly proud of’
The clinic also served as the official launch of Dentaid’s Northern Hub, based at Holmfirth near Huddersfield and funded by Bupa Foundation. From there, a local Dentaid team and hundreds of clinicians have delivered outreach dental clinics across the north of England including Bradford, Huddersfield, Leeds, Rotherham, Scarborough and York.
Kirklees in Recovery offers a range of treatment and recovery services for those looking to break from addiction from hubs in Huddersfield and Dewsbury. They offer advice on how to lower their dependence on substances, as well as mental health support and access to expert guidance.
Andy Evans, CEO of Dentaid The Dental Charity, said: ‘Being able to mark 10 years of providing care in the UK by returning to where it all began in Dewsbury is a fantastic feeling and an achievement we are truly proud of.
‘We know that so many more people both here in Yorkshire and across the UK are facing serious challenges in accessing dental care when living in situations of homelessness and poverty.
‘Having a dedicated Northern Hub now in place has made a massive difference in enabling our dental care professionals to reach even more under-served communities across this part of the country. It also allows us to cut down on the long journeys travelled by our vehicles to clinics, reducing our carbon footprint and saving money which can then be spent on improving our service delivery.
‘To have Bupa Foundation here to mark this milestone is highly important and we are hugely thankful for their support in helping to set this up. We look forward to treating even more people in need in the future.’
‘This initiative shows what’s possible when we work together to remove barriers’
Dr Neil Sikka, director of dentistry at Bupa Dental Care, said: ‘Through the support of Bupa Foundation, we’ve been able to make a real difference for people who struggle to access dental care.
‘The Northern Hub means more mobile clinics can reach communities across the North of England, bringing treatment closer to those who need it most.
‘Oral health is essential for overall wellbeing, and this initiative shows what’s possible when we work together to remove barriers and deliver care where it’s needed.’
Mark Allan, general manager for Bupa Dental Care, added: ‘Dental professionals play a vital role in promoting oral health and its wider impact on overall wellbeing. That’s why it’s so important that charities like Dentaid receive the funding they need to expand their footprint and offer even more clinics to those who need care. We look forward to supporting this initiative go from strength to strength.’
For more information on Dentaid please visit www.dentaid.org.
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This article is sponsored by Bupa Dental Care.
