Dentaid targets vulnerable dental patients in pilot project in Bradford
One of the UK’s leading dental charities, Dentaid, has set up a pilot project in Bradford with the aim of targeting some of the country’s most vulnerable dental patients.
The charity, which supports dental ventures in developing countries, has been working on a project at Bevan House Primary Care Centre in Piccadilly. The centre provides advice, support, and practical help for the unemployed and homeless, and refugees seeking asylum.
The centre staff and representatives from Dentaid have been working in Yorkshire and the Humber following the successful trial of previous pilot schemes in other parts of Yorkshire.
Under the pilot scheme, newly qualified dentists offer their time and skills to host clinics, which take place at the centre. There have been five clinics since December, and the feedback from patients has been very positive. The service is open to refugees, and people who struggle to access NHS dental care as a result of addiction or homelessness.
Dentaid has provided the centre with a portable dental chair and the instruments and equipment dentists need to carry out basic dental treatments. The scheme has also been backed by Henry Schein and Colgate, which have donated toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste.
Ian Wilson, a dentist from Leeds, helped to coordinate the project, and explained that it’s a pilot, which will be used to determine if there is a demand for such services in Bradford. It aims to build on the success of a similar venture in Dewsbury. Mr Wilson described Bevan House as a “superb example of community healthcare” and it’s a project he was incredibly keen to support, having spent 10 years working on volunteer schemes in Africa.
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