More homeless and vulnerable people across the UK will be able to access free dental care after Dentaid launched its second charity dental unit at the BDIA Showcase.

The vehicle will visit homeless shelters, soup kitchens and day centres with teams of volunteers providing dental screening, emergency treatment and oral health advice for people who find it difficult to access dental care.

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The new unit has been supported by Bupa Dental Care, which has chosen Dentaid as its official charity partner. Bupa dental practices will be supporting Dentaid's UK work with a variety of fundraising initiatives involving patients and employees.

Since Dentaid launched its first mobile dental unit in 2016, the charity has been travelling the country providing free treatment for many of the most vulnerable people in our society. Homeless people, children in areas of poverty, fishermen and those living in places where it is difficult to register with an NHS practice, have all benefitted from clinics carried out in schools, community buildings, hostels and fishing ports from Cornwall to Aberdeenshire.

In the first nine months of 2019, 475 homeless and hard-to-reach people have been seen in Dentaid clinics and the charity receives requests for new projects every week. The new unit will enable Dentaid to run more clinics with one vehicle stationed in the south of England and one in the north.

In addition to supporting the new dental unit, Bupa Dental Care has also provided funding, via its apprenticeship levy, for Dentaid to hire an administration apprentice and made Dentaid the beneficiary of its Pennies scheme - a digital charity box available in all Bupa Dental Care practices.

For more information about Dentaid visit www.dentaid.org.