Cambridge Road Estate welcomes mobile dental bus treatment from Kingston charity RBKares
By Emily Dalton
3rd Aug 2023 | Local Features
Residents at Cambridge Road Estate (CRE) welcome dental treatment from charity Dentaid, organised by RBKares and The Brothers Trust.
Dr Kate Kenyon, leader of Kingston-based charity RBKares said: "It gives them that confidence of a smile back."
The introduction of the dental bus comes just after RBKare's anniversary of monthly Wellbeing Days for the community on the CRE.
Run by volunteers, RBKares hold a Well-Being event every first Tuesday of the month at the CRE to provide podiatry services, digital help, financial benefit support and donations like clothes and hygiene products.
Long-awaited dental care for CRE
The Dentaid bus marks a significant achievement for charity lead, Dr. Kate Kenyon, who noticed dental health care was a problem for residents last year.
"On one of the first Well-Being Days on the estate we received lots of fruit from Tony's Market," she said. "But none of the residents touched these delicious apples."
"That's when you know you have to fight for change."
Dr. Kenyon inspired local dentist Dr Munir Ravalia to assess the oral hygiene of residents across the estate- ranked among England's 20% most deprived neighbourhoods.
A large number of the community's most vulnerable residents, from all ages and ethnicities, were struggling to find a local NHS dentist.
He assessed 67% of people they saw were using too many pain killers (five times a-day) to deal with the pain. "Or they would use alcohol because painkillers gave them stomach-ache," Dr Kenyon said. Half of them had infections, bleeding gums or had lost a tooth.
With most on low incomes and increasingly stretched by the cost-of-living crisis, most residents cannot afford private dental treatment.
Dentaid funded by private donation
In June, RBKares secured a £5,000 grant from The Brothers Trust, adding dental health care treatment to its growing list of wellbeing services for the CRE.
The Brothers Trust, run by Nikki and Dom Holland (parents to Tom Holland), supports charities who struggle to be heard.
Thanks to the funding, RBKares has arranged visits from the dental aid charity Dentaid to bring one of its mobile vehicles to the area over the next four months.
"It's been a year of trying to get dental help to these people," Dr Kenyon added. "It is a really significant achievement so we're really proud of that."
Kingston Council have now added funding so Dentaid can make two more visits, starting in February.
CRE residents rejoice at free dental care treatment
Robin, CRE resident, was mugged in 2015 and has struggled with two wobbly front teeth. He could not receive help from the hospital and has been eating soft food ever since.
Before visiting the Dentaid clinic, he reportedly said: "If I could open my mouth, I could start to get a job."
After receiving treatment from the clinic today, Robin said: "Tomorrow will be the first time since 2015 I will be able to have a crunchy biscuit." He added: "I'm more of a dunker, usually."
Sofia, 39, who moved to the UK from Albania last year, was seeking help for her dentures.
Dr Munir Ravalia, clinically trained dentist volunteer, explained: "I see a lot of people who have had treatment done abroad which look like white, shiny, Hollywood teeth but it's all rotten underneath."
"We see a lot of people with mental health problems which causes them to participate in substance and drug abuse," he said. "This causes them chronic conditions like tooth decay and gum disease."
Poor teeth hygiene and bad dental health can lead to tooth loss, heart disease and diabetes.
Dr Kenyon said: "If you're on a very low income, you do not prioritise dental care." She anecdotally told of one resident who could only afford one cigarette and one bottle of beer a week as a "treat".
Dentaid saw families as well as individuals. One family, from Eritrea, was seeking help for their 13-year-old daughter's braces.
"Asylum seekers only receive £9 allowance a week," Dr Kenyon said. "You're not going to save 34 weeks to wait for treatment."
Although the teen was unlikely to receive help for her braces, Dr Ravalia could potentially refer her on to another dentist service for extra help.
Establishing trust and building relationships
Sue Smith, a charity worker for Dentaid, said: "Everyone has a right to dental health care, but it is not something everyone can afford."
Smith explained it is harder to get a vulnerable person in an NHS clinic because they would be an expensive patient. She said: "The NHS has limits on how much it can charge for dental treatment." Currently, the highest band is £306.8 for complex treatments.
The most common treatment at the mobile clinic today was tooth removal- a procedure which would have set residents back £70.70 if they went to the NHS.
Dentaid does tooth extractions, fillings, mouth cancer checks, X-rays, fluoride treatment scale and polish.
"We do what the patients want and not what we want to do," Smith said. "It's got to be patient-led to build a relationship of trust."
Smith said: "Homeless individuals often have a mistrust in authority and see dentists as an authority figure."
Still a lot of work to do
The charities acknowledge the limits to the clinic- many residents need multiple visits to and treatments to be considered healthy. However, the group's aim was to become 'dentally fit' so residents could go see a dentist on their own.
The Dentaid charity is supported by donations and fundraising from other charities and councils. Originally working overseas, since 2015 Dentaid has been working in the UK treating homeless individuals and vulnerable people.
It has seven mobile units and one dental trailer which will be used for 500 clinics in 2023.
The Dentaid bus will visit on RBKares next Well-Being Day on 5 September.
To volunteer for RBKares have a look on their website.
For more information or to volunteer for Dentaid, access their website.
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