Mobile Dental Clinic Brings Relief to Cardiff Residents in Need
Cardiff, Wales – A partnership between Dentaid The Dental charity, Oasis, and Henry Schein has brought vital dental care to over 20 individuals in Cardiff, including children, experiencing toothaches and other dental problems. The mobile dental unit, one of 11 operating across the UK, visited Oasis’ center in Splott on September 2nd and 3rd, marking Dentaid’s first service delivery in the city.
The initiative focuses on providing care to vulnerable populations – those experiencing homelessness, harm, poverty, and abuse – through outreach clinics at locations like soup kitchens, hostels, and community centres. Funding from Henry Schein, through its Henry Schein Cares program, made the Cardiff visit possible.
“It was really smooth inside the truck, I was happy with the experience I got today,” said one patient who hadn’t seen a dentist in three years. “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.”
Dentaid’s Head of Fundraising and Communications,Jill Harding,highlighted the collaborative effort: “We’re delighted to bring our services to Cardiff for the first time and we’d like to thank Oasis and Henry Schein for thier invaluable work in helping to set this project up.” She also noted recent clinic launches in Newport, with plans for further outreach in South Wales.
Tomos Owen, deputy CEO of Oasis, emphasized the significant need this service addresses. “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 expressed his satisfaction with the project’s impact, stating, “It’s been incredible to be a part of this project… 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.”
Dentaid is actively seeking volunteer dentists to participate in future charity clinics. Interested professionals can find more facts at https://www.dentaid.org/volunteering-opportunities-in-the-uk/.