Bournemouth fishermen receive free dental checks at Poole Quay
Fishermen from the Bournemouth area were invited to attend a free dental clinic at Poole Quay on Tuesday 9th July.
The clinic was organised by SeaFit in association with Dentaid. SeaFit is a charity initiative, which works to protect fishermen’s health and wellbeing by hosting wellness and welfare events and improving access to health services for those at sea. The initiative is a joint project between the Fishermen’s Mission and the Seafarers Hospital Society. At this year’s health event, the Alzheimer’s Society and Macmillan Cancer Support were also in attendance.
As part of the agreement between SeaFit and Dentaid, fishermen were able to access free routine checks, cleaning treatments and urgent dental treatments such as fillings and extractions, which were provided by volunteer dentists based at Dentaid’s mobile unit.
Fishermen’s mission superintendent for the South Coast, Nick O’Neill, said that the charities had been working together to make dental care more accessible. The mobile clinic, which was stationed at Poole Quay, was open from 10am until 4pm.
It can be very difficult for fishermen to get to the dentist due to the hours they work and the amount of time they spend out at sea. The visit from Dentaid enabled fishermen, many of whom hadn’t seen a dentist for several months, or even years, to get the treatment they needed. The clinic offered treatment on an ad hoc basis, with no appointments required.
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