Survivors of abuse

Dentaid The Dental Charity provides dental clinics for survivors of domestic violence, modern day slavery and human trafficking who are being given safe haven at refuges across the UK.

Sadly, many 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. We take our service to a location where our patients feel safe and comfortable and take a 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 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.

Our charity also works with organisations that support families and individuals affected by drug and alcohol abuse.  We understand that dentistry can help people feel more confident and positive about their appearance as they seek support for overcoming addictions. Our service is part of a package of support that can help people move on to a new chapter in their lives.

"I am supporting someone whose teeth were damaged as a result of abuse that took place, so there is a lot of trauma around dentistry for her. She had really struggled to get a dentist due to her exploitation, and said she had a really positive experience with Dentaid. It was the first time she had been to a dentist in 20 years".  – Support worker at Unseen