Date: 22nd May
Dentaid mobile units travelled to Harbour Housing’s Regional Office in St Austell, Cornwall, to provide outreach dental care to vulnerable people, residing within our supported accommodation, who are/have experienced homelessness, survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence, and/or recovering from addiction.
The charity is working in partnership with Harbour Housing and Bodmin Way, providing volunteer dentists and dental nurses to give dental advice and treatments that include fillings and extractions.
Jill Harding, Head of Fundraising and Communications, for Dentaid, said;
“We have had a long-held ambition to bring our Outreach services to Cornwall after hearing people experiencing homelessness and health inequalities are having real difficulty in accessing the dental care they need. It is a pleasure to work alongside Harbour Housing and Bodmin Way, providing treatment that can have a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable people, and we are very grateful to the Duchy Health Charity for funding this project”.
During the two-day visit, we had a fantastic response from residents accessing the service regarding oral hygiene advice and treatments provided by the staff from Dentaid.
Malcolm Putko, Harbour Housing, Group Operations Director, said;
Our clients were thrilled with the visit from their mobile surgery this week. Harbour is a charity on a mission, supporting Cornwall’s most vulnerable in their recovery from homelessness. A key issue is access to dental treatment, which is crucial in a region where dental care is difficult to obtain.
We are excited and humbled to be working with Dentaid and greatly appreciate the five additional clinics planned for 2025.
This partnership is vital to tackle the barriers that Individuals experiencing homelessness face when trying to access dental care. This is often from financial limitations, transportation issues and discrimination. A significant portion of individuals experiencing homelessness experience dental pain and tooth loss, which can occur from a poor diet, having limited access to essential nutrients and substance use, which can significantly damage oral health.
Harbour Housing Resident;
“It’s taken years to get here. It was painless, well explained & the lady listened to my concerns before I went in. I was so nervous due to my phobia, but it meant I could get a check-up and a referral”.
This year, statistics from research show that 90% of people in the UK experiencing Homelessness have health issues regarding barriers to access dental treatment.
Within these findings, 70% have reported tooth loss, 30% are currently experiencing pain, and 15% have pulled out their teeth. More concerning are the numbers of individuals who have used alcohol (27%) and substances (28%) to manage oral pain, which emphasises the seriousness of why vulnerable people need to access dental services.
Kate Smith, Harbour Housing, Education, Wellbeing and Communications Lead;
“We were delighted to host Dentaid at our Regional Offices this week. We are passionate about supporting Cornwall’s most vulnerable in their recovery from homelessness, and accessing dental treatment is often a vital part of that process. In Cornwall, where dental care is particularly hard to access due to long waiting lists & rural isolation, initiatives like this are essential. We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Dentaid, hosting 5 more clinics across 2025 & hopefully beyond.”
9th September
Cultural feast shared by staff celebrates diversity and inclusion.
Harbour Housing recognised the generosity of one of its own colleagues through its Act of Kindness Award, celebrating the everyday
23rd June
13th June
9th June
27th May
19th May
