People supported by Oasis in Cardiff have had the chance to see a dentist thanks to a charity partnership.
Volunteer dentists and dental nurses provided care for more than 20 patients, including children, who were experiencing toothache and other dental problems.
Thanks to funding from dental equipment company Henry Schein, Dentaid The Dental Charity’s mobile dental unit visited Oasis’ centre in Splott on September 2nd and 3rd. It was Dentaid’s first visit to the city.
The dental surgery on wheels is one of 11 that travel the UK, providing care for people experiencing homelessness, harm, poverty and abuse in settings such as soup kitchens, hostels and community centres.
One patient, who had wanted to see a dentist for three years said: “It was really smooth inside the truck, I was happy with the experience I got today. The dentist and dental nurse were really supportive and I wasn’t feeling anxious or worried.
“I think it’s very important to support the community and people around Cardiff. They’re really doing an amazing job, saving people from pain.”
The service has been funded through the Henry Schein Cares programme which provides funding for initiatives that help to promote good oral health and lead to better health outcomes in the UK and around the world.
Jill Harding, Head of Fundraising and Communications at Dentaid The Dental Charity, said: “We’re delighted to bring our services to Cardiff for the first time and we’d like to thank Oasis and Henry Schein for their invaluable work in helping to set this project up. We also recently launched new clinics for people facing homelessness and addiction in Newport and we look forward to returning to south Wales soon.”
Tomos Owen, Deputy CEO of Oasis, said: “All of the feedback we’ve been getting from our users has been really positive. It’s incredible that volunteers have been coming to help with this.
“Many of our users have had dental issues for a long time and just haven’t been able to get them fixed, it’s one of the biggest needs that gets presented to us.
“It’s preventing even worse harm and we really appreciate being able to work together with Dentaid”.
Chris Drake from Henry Schein said: “It’s been incredible to be a part of this project over the past few years, and I’m really pleased we have been able to bring it to my local city of Cardiff. Some of the patients we have seen have never had access to a dentist before now. It’s amazing to be able to help people in the local community and provide emergency dental treatment for people who need it.”
Dentists who would like to volunteer to take part in one of Dentaid’s upcoming charity clinics can find out more information by visiting https://www.dentaid.org/volunteering-opportunities-in-the-uk/
