Homeless people in the city of Southampton will be able to receive free dental treatment this week thanks to a partnership between Street Support and DentAid, a charity which works to improve oral health across the world, and who have a centre in Totton.
Last year, the Street Support Action Group Southampton alleviated the rough sleeping crisis across the city by partnering up with churches who opened their doors to those looking to escape the cold.
In their next ambitious project, the Group have been working to make dental health easier to manage for those living without a home.
Nice piece in @dailyecho about our mobile dental clinic for street homeless people in #Southampton taking place on Thursday. https://t.co/CBNEj29uWW pic.twitter.com/IqX87VFYgM
— Dentaid The Dental Charity (@dentaid_charity) January 20, 2020
Speaking over the Christmas period, Paul Webber said, ‘Above Bar Church runs a weekly breakfast for up to 100 people who are homeless and vulnerable in our building on Above Bar Street. This month, we have invited DentAid to bring their mobile dental unit to the church’.
DentAid travel across the UK regularly, visiting hostels, day centres, and night shelters, ‘providing emergency treatment for people who find it difficult to access dental care‘. According to the charity, 70% of homeless people have dental problems and 15% have tried to extract their own teeth.
This Thursday, 23rd January, DentAid will be visiting Above Bar Church to hold a free clinic for homeless men, women, and children, who need dental treatment or a check-up.
Details of the work undertaken by Street Support Action Group Southampton, including meal and personal items support and centre locations, can be found on their information leaflet here.
