The dental profession came together to raise thousands of pounds to help get one of Dentaid The Dental Charity’s mobile units back on the road.

The charity appealed for help after one of its mobile dental clinics was damaged by a third party.

The unit was severely damaged in January 2023 – but after finally having the works completed in August, the third-party insurers refused to settle the invoice.

It told Dentaid that it would no longer process the claim as it is not covered under the insurance it holds for the third party.

Dentaid is seeking legal advice but, in the meantime, launched an urgent appeal to raise £10,000 to get the vehicle back on the road and delivering clinics for people experiencing homelessness and other under-served groups. Thanks to the generosity of the dental profession, the amount was raised within a week, and Dentaid was able to get the vehicle back.

It’s now being used for clinics in Leeds, Harrogate, Barnsley and Liverpool for people experiencing homelessness and addiction and fishing communities that struggle to access care.

Andy Evans, CEO of Dentaid The Dental Charity, said, “We are very grateful to all the individuals and companies who responded to our urgent and unusual call for help. Thanks to their support, we will be able to get this charity dental unit back out on the road where it’s needed most.

“This was a very unexpected situation, and we are pursuing the insurance and seeking legal advice.

“However, in the meantime, thanks to the success of this appeal, we will be able to use the vehicle again for our clinics providing outreach care for the most vulnerable people in our communities.

“As a charity, we rely on the support of the dental profession for volunteers, fundraising and support, and we were delighted how quickly people responded to help us in this situation – thank you to them all.”

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