Addiction recovery patients in Huddersfield helped by new dental clinic
A new mobile charity dental clinic offering treatment to people experiencing homelessness, harm from substance addiction and those in recovery has arrived in Huddersfield for the first time.
Dentaid The Dental Charity brought its mobile unit, with a full-operational surgery in the back, to Kirklees in Recovery’s hub in Union Bank Yard on Thursday 25th September.
The clinic, which is delivered alongside services offered by the charity Change Grow Live, saw a volunteer dentist and dental nurse provide advice and dental treatment to service users who have faced difficulties in being able to see a dentist because of the challenges in their lives.
Dentaid’s mobile dental unit is one of 11 that travel around the United Kingdom delivering care to people from under-served communities who are experiencing toothache or other oral health issues.
The service is designed to ensure that those who have struggled to access care because of their living conditions or other health issues can be seen and treated in a supportive and familiar environment close to the places where they are being supported.
Change Grow Live’s Drug and Alcohol Service provides a range of treatment and recovery services for those looking to break from addiction, operated out of hubs in Huddersfield and Dewsbury. They offer advice on how to lower their dependence on substances, as well as mental health support and access to expert guidance.
Jill Harding, Head of Communications and Marketing at Dentaid The Dental Charity, said: “People facing homelessness, alcohol and drug addiction find it incredibly hard to be seen by a dentist, meaning they can suffer with oral health problems for years without relief.
“By partnering with Change Grow Live we can bring our services to a part of the country where access to dental care is critically important.
“We greatly appreciate being able to ensure that people using Kirklees in Recovery services in Huddersfield and Dewsbury are given the opportunity to feel comfortable with seeing a dentist and get important treatment that could make a real difference to their journey to recovery.”
Clare Groves, Services Manager and CQC Registered Manager at Change Grow Live, said: “Feedback from the people who use our service was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the urgent need for accessible dental services in the region. The initiative has made a meaningful impact on the health and wellbeing of those in attendance.
“One person shared, that they had been unable to find dental care for years and now, thanks to Dentaid, they are now pain free.
“Dentaid’s continued commitment to reaching underserved communities is helping to close the gap in dental health inequality across the UK and through an effective partnership with Change Grow Live Kirklees, dental care has been accessible to more Kirklees residents.”
Dentaid is due to return to Dewsbury on December 3rd, to mark the 10th anniversary of its first ever UK charity dental clinic in the town.
For more details about volunteering for Dentaid, please visit https://www.dentaid.org/volunteer-in-the-uk/.