Bringing Dental Care Closer to Communities

For many people across Norfolk, dental care can feel completely out of reach. Negative past experiences, complex referral systems, years of difficulties accessing treatment and the pressures of everyday life can mean that oral health becomes something people learn to live without, rather than something they expect to receive.

The consequences can be more severe than just toothache. Poor oral health can affect eating, speaking, confidence and overall wellbeing, and is linked to a range of wider health problems. For those facing the greatest barriers, however, getting the care they need often remains out of reach.

Our Nourishing Norfolk food hubs support people with much more than food. This year, Norfolk Community Foundation and Nourishing Norfolk food hubs are partnering with Dentaid to deliver pop-up dental clinics in Norwich and Gorleston. Dentaid is a charity that has been bringing professional and safe dental care directly to people facing barriers to treatment through mobile clinics and community outreach programmes across the UK for more than 30 years.

Thanks to donations, we funded Dentaid to deliver dental clinics at two food hubs, bringing professional dental care into trusted community settings. With support from the familiar faces people already knew through their local food hubs, attendees felt confident accessing appointments and receiving treatment they might otherwise have gone without.