Children with complex health needs benefit from new mobile dental unit
We are proud to have launched a brand new mobile dental unit which will treat children at special education needs schools in Coventry.
The mobile dental unit currently visits three special education needs schools (SEN) in Coventry, providing access to high quality dental and oral health care to children with a range of complex health needs, for example wheelchair users, children with feeding difficulties, cardiac problems, and sensory issues. It is hoped that in the future the mobile unit can be extended to include other SEN schools in Coventry. Due to their complex needs, the children often face many barriers to accessing dental care. Poor oral health can impact negatively on general health, so access to a mobile dental unit is of great benefit.
The official launch of the new mobile dental unit took place at Sherbourne Fields Special School in Coventry on 29 October 2019. The guest of honour who cut the ribbon and officially launched the new mobile dental unit was Coventry resident and artic explorer Mark Wood alongside 11 year old Warwick Dumighan who is a pupil at the school. Mark works with many schools in the city, including Sherbourne Fields.
Claire Castle-Burrows, Clinical Lead, Coventry Community Dental Service at our Trust, said: “We are delighted to have secured the funding for a new mobile dental unit, which will allow us to go to SEN schools and provide dental care for the children who might, due to their complex needs, struggle to attend a dentist. The first mobile dental unit in Coventry started in the mid-1980s as a caravan and was replaced in the early 1990s with a van. This will be the third unit we have had as others came to the end of their usable lives, but it is such an important service which enables us to work with children, parents and school staffs to ensure the children receive the best oral care possible.”
Jagtar Singh, Chair at our Trust, said: “I am an advocate of preventative services so I am pleased to have been invited today to see the launch of this new mobile dental unit. Some of the staff here today have worked on the mobile unit for over 30 years! It is such an important service for these children and long may it continue.”
Working in partnership with the children, their families, the school staff and other health professionals (including school nurses), the mobile dental unit will provide safe and effective oral care. The mobile unit staff strive to provide the best quality of evidence-based dentistry and preventative input to reduce oral disease.
Mark Wood of Mark Wood Explorer Ltd, said: “I work with many schools, using my experiences as an explorer, to teach and inspire young people to respect themselves and their environment. This mobile unit helps to break down the barrier which can stop children visiting the dentist regularly when they have complex health needs. I’m honoured to have been asked here today to cut the ribbon alongside Warwick.”
Shivaun Duffy-Moriarty, Head Teacher at Sherbourne Fields School, said: “We massively value this service and the dental staffs have built a wonderful relationship with our school staff and the children. A change of environment can be challenging for some children, so having the bus come here to our school eases that trip to the dentist and provides huge health benefits.”