Dental volunteering with Crisis at Christmas

Abstract

There are many things people want for Christmas. Some gifts that are sent are thoughtful and meaningful. Some are merely by request. For Janine Doughty, Senior Volunteer and member of Crisis at Christmas Dental Service steering group, her gift was one of necessity.

Here she tells us what it's like to be a volunteer at Christmas.

'Hundreds of volunteers descended upon London over last year's Christmas period, generously donating both their time and skills to people experiencing homelessness in the capital city. The Crisis at Christmas charity provides a range of volunteer-led services to the homeless, offering support and companionship throughout the festive season; the dental service is just one of the many teams providing care for guests during this time.

'Last year, the Crisis at Christmas dental team operated out of four fully equipped dental vans stationed across two sites in North and South East London. The vans were generously donated to the charity for two weeks by the Community Dental Services in East and Coastal Kent, Newport and Bedford.

'Each year, the triage team are tasked with seeking out guests who would benefit most from a visit to the dental service. The guests are subsequently transported them from their original centres to the dental vans for afternoon treatment sessions. Here, fillings, extractions, scale and polishes, and oral hygiene instruction are delivered by our dental volunteers.

'Between the 23 and 29 of December 2014, the Crisis at Christmas dental team examined 393 patients. The treatments performed included 218 permanent fillings, 213 scale and polishes, and 109 extractions.

This year the team plans to increase the number of dental vans involved with the service from four to six units; these additional vans will enable 200 more guests to receive much-needed treatment over the Christmas period this year. If you are, or know of, a dental van owner who would be willing to let Crisis use their facility for the Christmas period then do get in touch.

'Our volunteers allow the dental service to help hundreds of guests year after year, and their contribution is truly appreciated. This year the dental service is in need of full-qualified dental nurses, if you are a registered dental nurse and are keen to make a difference by volunteering for Crisis at Christmas in 2015 your help would be invaluable. The application for Crisis at Christmas volunteers is now open, so please do take a look and support what we do.

Further information about the dental service and other ways to get involved with Crisis throughout the year can be found at www.crisis.org.uk.