A NEW dental van, launched by the NHS in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in collaboration with Smile Together Dental CIC, is providing treatment to some of the most vulnerable patients and those who have been waiting a long time.

The van is the first to be commissioned by NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB, as part of its commitment to make sure some of its most remote communities have easier access to an NHS dentist.

Operated by Smile Together Dental CIC, it offers examinations, dental treatment and urgent care by appointment, as well as advice and oral health packs containing toothbrushes, toothpaste and emergency contact numbers.

If patients need emergency dental care, the team will provide immediate support and arrange a follow-up appointment.

Patients who have been waiting for an NHS dentist will be contacted when the van visits their area and invited to book an appointment.

The van will also visit veterans in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly who have reported difficulty accessing dental care and often have oral health problems related to their military service. On top of this, it will also seek to provide service to fishing communities, working alongside the Fishermen’s Mission to address the unique challenges faced by fishermen in accessing healthcare

NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB Chief Medical Officer Dr Chris Reid said: “We have listened to people who tell us how important accessing an NHS dentist is to them.

“This is just one of the proactive measures we are taking to bring NHS dentistry to residents across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. It demonstrates our commitment to the changes introduced in the NHS 10-year plan; moving from sickness to prevention and providing care closer to people’s homes.”

NHS England’s chief dental officer for the South West, Matthew Jerreat, said: “It’s fantastic that residents living in some of our most rural and far-flung areas will now be able to access an NHS dentist closer to home.

“It’s another step in rebuilding access to NHS dentistry and in our long-term plans to improve oral health, especially in remote and deprived areas where people struggle most to get the help they need.”

Sarah Andrews, practice manager at Smile Together Dental CIC said: “Smile Together are proud to be delivering care through our mobile dental unit, helping to reach some of the most vulnerable people in our communities who’ve struggled to access a dentist. Being able to provide essential treatment and advice where it’s needed most is truly rewarding — it’s about making a real difference every day.”

The dental van is one of a range of measures by the NHS in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which includes providing thousands of additional urgent and emergency dental care appointments, available through NHS111 online or by phone, offering additional “stabilisation” appointments for patients following emergency dental care to treat other urgent dental issues, and working with local dentists to procure additional NHS contracts in areas of greatest need and support initiatives to recruit dentists to Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.