Crowds Gather for First Pay What You Can Afford Dental Clinic in Dewsbury

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Crowds of people gathered for the first in a series of charity dental clinics this week. The clinics, which work on a ‘pay what you can’ basis have been organised by the Real Junk Food Project in association with Dentaid and local dentists in the Kirklees area.

The first clinic took place at Dewsbury Dental Centre this week and people lined up outside to make sure they got an appointment. The project, which will run as a pilot scheme for the next three months, will involve weekly clinics staffed by local dental professionals and Dentaid volunteers.

The aim of the project is to provide local people who struggle to access NHS dental care or cannot afford to see a dentist with the treatment they need. In receipt of treatment, patients will pay what they feel they can afford.

The idea came to light after Paul Burr, founder of the Real Junk Food Project, noticed that many people who came to the cafes providing food for the homeless, unemployed and those on low incomes, suffered from dental problems and were struggling to access NHS dental services.

Claire Skipper was one of the patients who visited the clinic. She had been suffering from severe dental pain and even tried to remove her own tooth with pliers after failing to find a dentist in the area who was taking on new NHS patients. After Claire attempted to extract the tooth, it broke and she needed further attention, but the only emergency dental service she could find was in Bradford and she couldn’t afford the bus fare. Now, Claire is recovering well after receiving treatment at the clinic and she believes the project will be hugely beneficial for people like her struggling to see a dentist.

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