A group of food banks in Newcastle has brought in a special bus to treat adults and children for free due to a shortage of dentists across the UK. Dentaid, a charity offering dental treatment to those living in parts of the country with limited services, said it had made a five-day visit to the city. Demand for dental appointments on the bus was so high that appointments were filled within two hours, leaving more than 100 people on the waiting list.
More than 50 volunteer dental staff and students, including paediatric dentist Dr Greig Taylor from Newcastle University, offered a variety of treatments, including check-ups and tooth removal. In addition to food bank users, children in the area were also able to attend a check-up and be given a fluoride varnish to prevent tooth decay. Researchers from the university monitored patients throughout the week, finding the average child had three teeth which were either decayed, filled or missing; the most severe case had 19 teeth treated.
Charity food banks were established to help individuals and families struggling to afford food, in part because of low wage growth. One in three children in the north-east live in poverty, which can lead to poorer health outcomes. However, Newcastle Foodbank said its clients “see dental treatment as a complete luxury” and are fighting daily to get food, to feed and clothe their children and try to survive the cost-of-living crisis.
The Department for Health and Social Care’s Dental Recovery Plan includes the rollout of mobile dental vans to areas where access is more difficult and aims to create up to 2.5 million extra appointments this year. A spokesperson for the department said it is “strengthening the dental workforce to ensure everyone can access a dental appointment when and where they need it.”
While the shortages of dentists and other healthcare professionals limit access to healthcare across the UK, the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed and worsened health inequalities and the economic disparities that underpin them. An analysis of household finances in the UK over the past two decades published in October 2021 found that low-income families’ spending on essentials rose as wages stagnated. Food and fuel costs have eaten up nearly all of families’ incomes, leaving very little for dentists or other healthcare professionals
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