ONE of Winchester’s largest companies will be helping the city’s homeless community to smile again by providing vital funds for their dental care.

Simplyhealth, which has offices in both Winchester and Andover, has contributed through its Community Fund for a mobile dental bus – operated by the charity Dentaid – to visit Trinity Winchester and provide essential dental care for homeless people in Winchester.

The bus is scheduled to visit monthly, enabling regular dental check-ups.

Jo Longman, community fund chairman and director of HR and engagement at Simplyhealth, said: “As a company that focuses on everyday health, we’re delighted to provide funding for the Dentaid bus and help our city’s homeless community to access the dental care they deserve.

“Through working closely with Trinity on other projects, we’ve learnt that when a person is homeless or living in temporary or unsuitable accommodation, managing simple oral hygiene such as cleaning your teeth is not a priority, leading to dental problems.

“This can then be exacerbated by mental health issues and increased use of drugs or alcohol, leading to a lack of self-care. Many homeless and vulnerable people also find getting to a dentist challenging.

“Some people find it very difficult to keep appointments, or would not have the means to travel, and some have a fear of the dentist – all of which would prevent any improvement in their dental health.”

To combat these barriers, Trinity, who provide practical and emotional support for homeless people, has arranged for dental services to come directly to its drop-in centre to engage with homeless clients.

Lucy Tennant, events and community fundraiser at Trinity Winchester, said: “The Dentaid bus will make a huge difference to our clients’ oral health and future prospects.”

She added: “The greater confidence from seeing a dentist and receiving necessary dental treatment will help people with interview skills and techniques, as well as enabling them to access necessary services such as housing and other important appointments.”

It seems the bus has never been more important following national news this week that homeless people are resorting to pulling out their own teeth because of struggles to access emergency dental care.*

Henry Clover, Simplyhealth’s Chief Dental Officer said: “Regular dental visits are an important part of maintaining both good oral health and overall health. Poor oral health can not only cause pain and issues with everyday functions such as eating and speaking, it’s also linked to other wider health problems such as heart disease, strokes, and diabetes. By providing the opportunity for both immediate dental care and subsequent follow-up appointments and monitoring, we can help to improve the oral health and overall wellbeing of homeless patients.”