• Print
• Email

Details

Published: Thursday, 16 May 2024 06:40

Written by Peter Ingle

Hits: 356

There has been some confusion about Dental Vans. For a start they are not actual vans, but typically 7.5 ton lorries. 

Nor are they a widely applicable solution to the access crisis. Shortly after promising a fleet of dental vans as part of its recovery plan the Government experienced another of its collisions with reality.  A procurement exercise for “non van solutions” was hastily been announced after discovering the “limited availability” of both the vans, and the workforce to work in and drive them.

All of which is unfortunate because there is a genuine role for mobile surgeries in reaching out to patients who otherwise struggle to access care.

A recent BBC News story illustrated how mobile units can make a huge difference in people’s lives.

In a recent initiative, homeless charity Lifeline, based in Harrogate teamed up with dental charity Dentaid, and was able to offer free dental treatment at pop-up centres.

Dentaid took its mobile unit to Starbeck in Harrogate, where formerly homeless people were able to have dental check-ups, extractions and fillings. For some this was the first time they had accessed dental care in many years.

Rob, a former drug addict, had been on the methadone programme for 14 to 15 years, the medication leaving him with more carious teeth. "I’ve always had problems with my teeth," he said. "The last couple of years, I’ve actually looked after them but on Saturday one of my fillings fell out, so I needed to go in and get it fixed. I’ve been paranoid about eating over the weekend in case I did any more damage."

Rob said that he was "blessed" to have the opportunity to visit the mobile unit, as he had known people who had been waiting for up to two years for an appointment.

Another patient at the pop up, who preferred not to be named, said this was the first time he had seen a dentist since he was 12 years old. "It’s nice to be looked after and cared for, and to feel appreciated," he said.

Volunteer dentist Geoff Baggaley provided the treatment. He had formerly practised in Yorkshire for 42 years, and said there was an access problem with dental care in the UK which he felt was getting worse.

"Going back to when we first started all those years ago, there was never really an access problem. Now there is an access problem," he said.

This had caused knock-on issues, "We know from the evidence that this is leading to more dental decay and I think more dental anxiety because it has become a real struggle to find a dentist.

"I know from reports that there has probably been an increase in oral cancer diagnosis and late oral cancer diagnosis because patients can’t get the care that they need."

Carl Good, CEO of Lifeline, said that a man using the charity had nearly lost his life due to oral problems: "One of our first ever residents ended up having 12 teeth out and they said that had he not been treated immediately, then he would have probably died."

---

You need to be logged in to leave comments.

×

Report

ReportClose