Dentaid mobile unit provides urgent dental treatment for patients in Suffolk
A mobile unit run by the charity, Dentaid, is providing urgent dental treatment for patients in Suffolk.
Dentaid recently visited Bury St Edmunds, setting up in a church car park. The dental van was staffed by a volunteer team, which was on hand to offer emergency treatment for patients in need.
Mum-of-four, Samantha Miller, was one of those who benefited from the service. Samantha, 34, had been suffering with “excruciating pain” but had been unable to get an appointment with an emergency dentist anywhere. She visited the unit and had two teeth extracted in a procedure that left her feeling better instantly. Samantha said that her dental issues have made it difficult to look after her kids and to work over the last few months, and she was also diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
Samantha praised the Dentaid team but said that it was difficult to accept her situation. Having lived in Bury St Edmunds all her life and contributed to the NHS through taxes for many years, Samantha couldn’t get an appointment in the area, despite the fact that she was struggling with severe pain and undergoing treatment for cancer.
Suffolk is one of the worst-affected regions for dental access issues, with many patients sharing similar stories. There are plans to increase local NHS dental capacity with a string of new surgeries, but most will not open until summer 2022.
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