More vulnerable children will have access to dental care following a new partnership between Denplan and Dentaid.
The fresh investment will fund 25 mobile ‘Denplan Outreach Clinics’ to help improve oral healthcare for those most in need.
It will also support Dentaid’s Brightbites, an oral health education programme that teaches children about the importance of teeth.
Demand has soared for Dentaid
Andy Evans, CEO of Dentaid said: ‘We are delighted to be working in partnership with Denplan.
‘This will enable us to provide outreach dental care for more of the most vulnerable people in our society. Thanks to Denplan we will be able to send our mobile dental units to new locations where volunteers will provide dental treatments for people experiencing homelessness.
‘We’ll also be able to help other hard-to-reach groups who are living with the misery of untreated toothache. Since the pandemic, demand for our work has soared and our help is needed more than ever.
‘Furthermore, we’ll be able to work with Denplan to develop our BrightBites oral health education programme for early years.
‘Sadly, a quarter of children have dental decay by the time they start school. Children in areas of higher deprivation more likely to be suffering.
‘Through our contacts and charity partners we plan to teach children and their families about the importance of dental health to improve their chances of having a healthy smile.’
Supporting the most vulnerable
The effort comes in light of emerging data that shows an alarming backlog of patients, as well as access issues across the UK.
Hospital admissions for tooth extractions among those aged 19 and under also cost the government around £33 million every year.
Catherine Rutland, Denplan’s clinical director added: ‘I know the huge difference Dentaid’s mobile clinics makes to the clients they treat; people who otherwise may not have the opportunity to see a dentist,’ she said.
‘I’m so pleased that through our support the charity can provide an additional 25 clinics that will specifically target the most vulnerable in our society enabling them to access the oral healthcare they need.’
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