MP visits dental scheme for people in need in Hampshire and Isle of Wight
The MP for Havant has visited a charity’s mobile dental surgery to find out more about efforts to provide dental care to people experiencing health inequalities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Alan Mak toured the unit, operated by Dentaid The Dental Charity, at the Havant Civic Centre on Thursday 27th August.
While there, he spoke to dental professionals and patients receiving support through the scheme, which is run in partnership between Dentaid and NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight.
The partnership means that people on low incomes and receiving certain benefits, new and pregnant mothers, children, people experiencing homelessness, supported services, and those supported by partner charities can receive care on a mobile dental unit.
Our vehicles visit family hubs, community centres, public buildings and places of worship in Southampton, Portsmouth and the surrounding towns, on the Isle of Wight, Andover and Basingstoke.
Onboard, dentists and dental nurses provide free care for those who are eligible for the service with treatments including fillings, extractions, scale and polish, fluoride varnish and x-rays.
Patients who believe they meet the eligibility criteria for the service which includes being exempt from NHS dental charges, facing a health inequality and not having seen a dentist for the last two years can request to make an appointment by calling 023 8001 4450. Dentaid is opening up its books for appointments from October.
More than 13,000 patients attended outreach services on Dentaid’s mobile dental units last year.
Alan Mak MP said: “It was wonderful to come on board Dentaid’s mobile dental unit and hear directly from the dentist and dental nurse about how they can support people in real need of treatment.
“Providing care to those who are not registered at a dental practice can be extremely challenging and it is great to see a charity working hard to do just that, directly in the community.
“I will continue to do what I can to work with our NHS on improving local dental services and ensuring more people can be seen by a dentist.”
Andy Evans, CEO of Dentaid The Dental Charity, said: “It was a pleasure for Alan Mak MP to see how this innovative partnership is able to take dental services directly to those who need them the most.
By helping to break down the barriers to dental care faced by many in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, we can help to create capacity elsewhere in the system.
“We are hugely grateful to our hard-working team of clinicians and support staff, who are ensuring that people who were suffering long-term dental pain and social exclusion can now get the dental care and treatment they need.”
James Roach, director of primary and local care at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, said: “Our partnership with Dentaid over the past two years has helped us improve access to NHS dental care, particularly for people who may otherwise struggle to get treatment. We are grateful for Dentaid’s continued support in helping us improve access to dentistry across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and it was great Alan Mak MP could see first-hand the positive impact the Mobile Dental Unit is having for local residents in Havant.
“While we know there is still more to do, services like the mobile dental unit are making a real difference to communities and helping more people access the care they need. This progress is reflected across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, where 35,000 more patients received NHS dental care in 2025/26 than in the previous year.”
Patients who believe they meet the eligibility criteria for the service which includes being exempt from NHS dental charges, facing a health inequality and not having seen a dentist for the last two years can request to make an appointment by calling 023 8001 4450.
Dentaid is opening up its books for appointments from October.