Stoke school reveals plans to provide dental services on-site

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A school in Stoke has revealed plans to enable students to receive dental services on-site. Pupils at Thistley Hough Academy in Penkhull could soon see a dentist without having to miss out on valuable classroom time.

The school is planning to host dental sessions to enable students who aren’t registered with a local dental practice to get the dental care they need. The services will also enable pupils to have treatment without taking time out of school and missing lessons.

Initially, the proposals are dependent on volunteer dentists offering their time to visit the school for a few hours every month, but if the scheme is successful, a more long-term plan will be considered. Caty Reid, vice-principal, said that the scheme will be a pilot to begin with, but if uptake and feedback are positive, the academy will look to provide services on a regular basis going forward.

Plans for the programme have come about as a result of a new two-year pilot scheme, which has been launched by public health teams, dental practices, GP surgeries, Stoke-on-Trent Council, local universities and pharmacies in a bid to encourage collaboration between health providers and educational organisations. The aim is to encourage young people to learn about careers in the health sector and to make people more aware of health issues and also the availability of health services in their local area.

Many students have a fear of going to the dentist and Mrs Reid is hopeful that providing care on-site will help to “break down that barrier” and enable pupils to feel more comfortable.

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