An emergency dental clinics for residents in Hadleigh, which has been organised by Angela Wiltshire, has confirmed when it will be visiting the town.

Dentaid, the dental charity, is providing the service for people with severe dental pain and no other access to treatment. 

The clinic will take place on Friday, 21 October, in the car park of Hadleigh Pool and Leisure..  

Dentaid volunteer Neil Silk

Those suffering the misery of toothache and not registered with a practice should visit the Dentaid clinic.

People don't need appointments and are invited to turn up and wait to be seen. 

Everyone will be triaged to assess their level of need.  Patients are advised to arrive early and be prepared to wait.  

The charity's volunteers will see as many people as they can but can't promise to see everyone.  

Volunteer dentists and dental nurses will be on the charity's mobile dental unit offering free oral cancer screening, dental health advice, fillings and extractions.

Hadleigh town councillor Angela Wiltshire, who fundraised for Dentaid to visit even before getting elected last May, said: 'People in the area around Hadleigh haven't had an NHS dentist taking on new patients for some time now and I have been contacted by people who are in pain and are unregistered who cannot wait for 21st October to arrive.

"Toothache pain has got to be one of the worst things imaginable and it's wrong that people cannot access proper NHS dental treatment in this day and age in Suffolk. I'm so grateful that Dentaid have been able to fit us in to their schedule."

This is Dentaid's fourth visit to Suffolk.  The charity previously ran clinics in Felixstowe, Bury St Edmunds and Leiston, where hundreds of people in dental pain waited up to six hours to be seen.

The charity is returning at the request of Cllr Wiltshire after identifying increasing access to dental care as a priority for their communities.

Anyone planning to attend the clinics is asked to ensure they have eaten breakfast and bring plenty of water as there may be a long queue. 

Dentaid is asking people only to attend if they meet the criteria of living the Hadleigh area, are currently experiencing dental pain and have no other way of accessing dental care.  

"We expect there to be huge demand for our charitable dental service when we return to Suffolk," said Dentaid CEO, Andy Evans. "On previous occasions we had long queues of people who were in terrible dental pain and our volunteers worked tirelessly to help as many as they could.  We do ask people to remember these are volunteers who are giving up their time to try to help those in greatest need.

"We know there are people in the Suffolk community who are suffering from untreated toothache and thanks to our volunteers and the local councils, Dentaid will help as many people as we can."

Fishermen visiting Dentaid at Felixstowe Ferry port (Picture credit: Nub News)

Dentaid will also have one of the mobile clinics in Haverhill on the day before (Thursday, October 20) at St Mary's church

.Dentaid has four mobile dental units which travel the UK providing outreach dental care for people who struggle to access treatment, including those experiencing homelessness, asylum seekers and refugees, head and neck cancer patients, fishing communities and survivors of domestic abuse.   

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