Dentaid supports HealthBus patients’ access oral healthcare

On 03 July 2025, Dentaid and HealthBus Trust reunited in Bournemouth to deliver free dental care for rough sleepers and people experiencing homelessness. Funded by NHS Dorset, the outreach forms part of the new Oral Bridge project, an innovative programme designed to improve oral health for under-served communities by taking high-quality care directly to the places people feel safe.

Working alongside partners at Health Sciences University, Bournemouth University and the Lantern Trust, the Dentaid team provided urgent assessments, pain relief, extractions, and preventative advice from its mobile clinic, while HealthBus clinicians coordinated follow-up support and referrals. The partnership will see Dentaid return to Bournemouth and patients twice a month, complementing HealthBus’s monthly clinics across the year ahead to ensure continuity of care.

The day was marked by warm welcomes, familiar faces and, most importantly, restored smiles—evidence of how collaborative, trauma-informed outreach can remove barriers and rebuild confidence. By integrating dentistry into wider homeless healthcare pathways, Oral Bridge aims to reduce avoidable A&E attendances, tackle infection and tooth pain early, and help people focus on recovery.

Dentaid, HealthBus and partners thanked NHS Dorset for backing practical solutions that meet people where they are. The work continues—together, with dignity and compassion throughout.