Over 10,000 dental patients in Devon and Cornwall have received NHS dental treatment from students of Plymouth University over the past five years. The students studying at the Peninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD) provide various dental services under the supervision of a qualified professional; the school first opened its doors as an educational facility in 2007.
Professor Christopher Tredwin, head of the PCMD said that the quality of care was very high and patients were roundly enthusiastic about the service, with one patient even stating that he ‘doesn’t mind being a guinea pig’ because the treatment is ‘first rate.’ Patient John Hart went on to say that the facility is ‘absolutely brilliant’; citing cost as one of the factors that stopped him getting professional treatment, he added ‘Dentists these days are very expensive and this isn’t cost me anything.’
Director of Primary Care for NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Bridget Sampson, said that the used of student dentists represents a ‘positive contribution to dental care in the region’. She also added that ‘we supported the creation of the dental school as we recognised the benefits of training people locally in the hope they may decide to remain in Cornwall to practice.’