Survivors of abuse

Dentaid The Dental Charity provides outreach dental services for survivors of domestic violence and other forms of abuse. We visit refuges, charities and support services for vulnerable people and their children who had fled violence and are now living in safety. By taking a charity dental unit to locations where our patients are protected, safe and comfortable we can enable them to focus on their dental care and oral health.

Sadly, many of those we see have suffered damage to their teeth as a result of being abused or they find the thought of someone touching their face to be extremely traumatic. By working with support workers and partner charities we give survivors of abuse the best possible chance of accessing dental care thanks to our gentle patient-led approach to our clinics. We seek to offer a regular service so we can help to build our patients’ trust and increase their understanding of oral health.

We often work with organisations that support those who find themselves in the UK and don’t speak English, so we work with translators to help them access safe dental care. Our patients also include those who’ve been rescued from exploitation and forced labour or found themselves victims of violence and abuse.

With so many challenges in their lives, our patients often have not had the opportunity to prioritise their oral health and find themselves in dental pain but unable to access traditional healthcare services. Our unique approach to delivering clinics makes dentistry as accessible as possible for these highly vulnerable patients.

We understand that dentistry can help people feel more confident and positive about their appearance as they seek support for overcoming previous traumatic situations. Our service is part of a package of support that can help people move on to a new chapter in their lives.