A brand new NHS ‘tooth bus’ is set to travel through the counties of Hampshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire this summer, in an effort to raise public awareness of free dental services; the first rounds are being made in Hampshire up until the 19th of August. The idea behind the scheme came after NHS studies showed that over half the region’s population had not seen a dentist in more than two years, and it hopes to target areas where lots of people gather, such as shopping centres and supermarkets.
The National Health Service have commissioned Iosis Dental Clinic Ltd to carry out the tour; director Shapour Hariri spoke to the media, explaining that any patients who were examined and found to need on-going treatment would be referred to a local NHS dentist so that the required care can be quickly organised. ‘’Mobile health care of this sort is a fantastic way of reaching out to communities who may not have easy access to dental or health clinics, ‘Hariri said, ‘and can also be a good way of connecting health care with hard to reach communities.’ Director of public health, Dr Paul Edmonson-Jones was in agreement, saying that the ‘tooth bus’ was an ‘excellent step to better oral hygiene.’
The bus moves on to Berkshire on August 20th and then Oxfordshire on the 9th of November.