A mobile dental clinic has started visiting villages in the Asher Valley, offering check-ups and routine treatment to residents who live far from the nearest dental practice. The clinic, built inside a converted coach, will visit eleven villages on a fortnightly rota, parking outside village halls, schools and community centres.
The vehicle contains a fully equipped surgery with a dental chair, X-ray equipment and sterilising area, along with a small waiting room at the front. A ramp and a lift at the rear mean it can be used by people with mobility difficulties. It is staffed by a dentist, a dental nurse and a hygienist from the Wrenhaven community dental service.
Gaps in rural care
The service was set up after a survey by the Asher Valley Parish Councils Association found that many families had not seen a dentist for more than two years. Some said they had been removed from practice lists after moving house, while others could not easily travel into Wrenhaven for appointments during working hours.
Teeth do not stop needing care because you live at the end of a bus route that runs twice a day.
That was the view of Dr Rhiannon Teale, the dentist who leads the mobile clinic. She said the first visits had shown a mix of needs, from children who had never had a check-up to older residents with dentures that no longer fitted properly. Priority will be given to children, pregnant women and people in pain.
Appointments can be booked by phone, and a small number of slots on each visit are kept free for urgent problems. The clinic can carry out check-ups, cleaning, fillings and simple extractions, and will refer patients to the community dental service in Wrenhaven for more complex treatment.
Ivor Penhallow, who chairs the Tarnmere village hall committee, said there had been a queue outside before the coach arrived on its first morning. "People have been talking about it for weeks," he said. The service will be reviewed after twelve months, and organisers hope to add a second vehicle if demand remains high.