HOMELESS and vulnerable people in Winchester had access to free dental care thanks to a bus that visited the city.

The mobile unit, operated by charity Dentaid, visited Trinity House offering treatment for people who use the drop-in centre.

Many had not seen the dentist for several years and were suffering long-term dental pain.

The first patient was 38-year-old Daniel, a former rough sleeper who spent eight months sleeping on the streets.

He now lives in a hostel but is not registered with a dentist.

A few weeks ago Daniel's teeth were damaged and he was suffering considerable pain.

"I've had toothache for ages but didn’t really know what to do about it," he said.

"I would never go to a dentist but when the dentist came here on the bus I knew I had to see her.

"I needed three teeth to be taken out and she's going to do some fillings. I'm over the moon because it'll stop the toothache."

Another patient who regularly visits Trinity House said: "I've got 32 teeth and 30 of them are alright which I'm really pleased about. It's good that a dentist came here to help us and the next thing I have to do is try to find an NHS dentist."

Operations director at Trinity Winchester Sue Mckenna said: "Unfortunately many of our clients just don’t go to the dentist and don't tell us they have toothache until it's too late and it's having a serious impact on their lives. We've had to send them to A&E in the past.

"They have many other things going on in their lives and dental care isn't usually a priority. But dental problems can affect their self-esteem and prospects – we have people here preparing for job interviews and it's important they feel comfortable about their teeth.

"We worked with 620 people last year and many of them need some sort of dental treatment. By bringing the mobile dental unit here, Dentaid is helping to change their lives."

Dentaid's UK clinical director Jane Lelean was the dentist on the unit with dental nurse Emma Buday working alongside her.

They saw six patients and Dentaid plans to return to Trinity House in the near future.

In addition to extractions and fillings, the team also provided oral health education and gave toothbrushes and paste to the patients.

Andrew Evans, CEO of Dentaid, said: “Dentaid is committed to improving oral health and although in the past this has taken us to many of the world’s poorest countries we know that there are many people in this country who find it difficult to access dental treatment.

“We are delighted to work with Trinity and provide their clients with dental treatment and advice.”