Geoff’s story

I first started receiving support from Bristol Drugs Project (BDP) for Hepatitis C testing. This was after I was found unconscious in 2018, I woke up in a hospital room thinking ‘Why am I here?’ I was very distressed and out of my head and all I could think was ‘Where are my drugs?’, not about what happened to me or whether my health was OK. Since then I have been supported by BDP’s drug and alcohol support services and I am really trying to turn my life around.

The last time I remember being registered with a dentist was long before COVID. I unfortunately missed two appointments due to my life being in shambles as I was living on the streets. After COVID I went back to my practice and they said to come back every 6 weeks. I went back and on the 3rd time was told due to my previous missed appointments, I could not be accepted. I was shattered again.

Dentaid have saved my remaining teeth. The first time they removed my retained root – this was the root of a tooth I had removed myself out of sheer agony. At the moment, I have to be so careful where I chew in my mouth. I am really scared more teeth are going to snap into pieces and fall out. My biggest fear is having no teeth.

Today I had my front tooth filled in. The clinic manager advised this would be possible if the tooth had little decay and thankfully the dentist managed to bring back one of my teeth back to life. The rest of my teeth were cleaned and the composite filling on my front tooth has made me feel a lot more confident in my smile.

The Dentaid service has really made my day. Dentaid always look after me and I am truly grateful. It is so nice to hear the dental professionals comment on my appearance too. Each time they say I look like I am doing better and it really helps me feel confident and to keep on doing better.