Are we living in a dental desert? Many people locally cannot access an NHS dentist. 1,500 people have attended A&E at the hospital trusts in Suffolk with dental problems. 12% of people in Suffolk and North East Essex do not have access to a dentist, rising to 22% in poorer areas.
Latest data shows 1 in 5 children aged 5 have experienced tooth decay in England, with higher rates of up to 1 in 3 in more deprived areas.
With that backdrop, I was delighted to visit the University of Suffolk and see their new Dental Community Interest Company (CIC). It’s almost a year old now and has seen about 4,000 people in that time.
A CIC operates in the same way as any other company. However, the purpose of a CIC is primarily one of community benefit rather than private profit.
The Head of the CIC and her team, have done a great job in creating this fantastic facility. There are ten treatment rooms, all with the latest equipment.
The facility currently takes appointments for children, though adults will be seen if they have an urgent need for dental treatment.
They have seen nearly 4,000 patients in their first year and hope to increase this to 18,000 in the next year.
The University has made an investment of £4.7 million in the project and also invested in teaching facilities which complement the CIC. The students benefit from a brand-new learning space and study for three years towards a BSc in Dental Hygiene and Therapy. The first students started in February 2024 and a further 25 students started in September. The course is very popular, with 20 applications for each place.
A qualified Dental Therapist can provide any dental work that doesn’t require treatment to the nerve of a tooth while working with adult patients. This means they can cover 85% of the services that a dentist can perform.
Dental Hygienists and therapists provide oral care that help patients maintain a healthy mouth, gums and teeth, to prevent dental problems before they develop.
What about dentists? They need five years study at a recognised Dental School. Unfortunately, the nearest ones are in London or Sheffield, and it is a fact that students often remain at their place of study after graduation, so it is difficult to attract dentists to Suffolk. Our university is now well placed to set up a Dental School, to train and retain dentists for the local area, though I guess that’s a question for Wes Streeting!
Labour is currently launching an £11million supervised toothbrushing scheme. This is to teach children aged 3-5 years good brushing habits with the aim of reaching the most deprived areas of England.
I was pleased to attend the official opening of the CIC and teaching facilities last week. It was great to meet some of the CIC staff, from the apprentice, up to the Chair of the Board. They are all passionate about what they are doing.
I spoke to a dentist who works here, rather than in private practice, because he believes in what they are doing.
The Ipswich CIC model has been very successful and there is likely to be expansion of the CIC to other areas of Suffolk. There is a fair chance that other areas will copy what has been done here.
I’ll leave the last word to Ed Garrett, who is the Chief Executive of the Integrated Care Board and has a responsibility for all things health: “In two years’ time Suffolk will not be known as a dental desert”.