Access granted

All the dentists taking part in the project are volunteering their time and will be carrying out extractions and pain relieving dentistry for people in need.

Homeless people, migrant and low wage workers, and vulnerable adults who are suffering pain because they have no access to dentistry will be able to see a dentist, possibly for the first time in many years.

The project is the result of a partnership between The Real Junk Food Project Dewsbury and Dentaid. The Real Junk Food Project takes unsold food from supermarkets and restaurants – that would usually be thrown away and wasted – and gives it to people in the local community who would otherwise go hungry on a pay as you feel basis. The charity has noticed that many of its clients are suffering dental pain but are unable to access NHS dental care for a variety of reasons.

Dentaid is a charity that sends teams of volunteer dental professionals and donated equipment to many of the world’s poorest countries. The charity is dedicated to eradicating dental pain whatever people’s circumstances might be. The Real Junk Tooth Project is its first UK initiative.