Cornwall community seeks permanent NHS dentist after hosting mobile clinics

A community organisation in Wadebridge is campaigning to establish a permanent NHS dental facility as local people struggle to obtain affordable treatment.

The Goods Shed, a community space in the Cornwall town, has been hosting emergency clinics delivered from mobile dental vans operated by Smile Together. The social enterprise provides NHS-commissioned and private dental care across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Trustees now hope to install one or two permanent dental chairs inside the building, allowing patients to receive regular treatment while freeing the mobile service to visit other communities. They acknowledge that establishing the facility could take several years.

Patients attending the mobile clinics described being unable to register with an NHS dentist or afford private fees. One pensioner said he had gone six years without finding a dentist after moving to Cornwall, while another was quoted £546 for a private extraction.

Trustee Elliot Osborne said the campaign began after a dentist requested £165 upfront to treat his five-year-old granddaughter’s toothache. Another director, Stephen Knightly, said the project could not solve the wider dental crisis but would provide practical help for local residents.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it was working to improve NHS dentistry after years of decline. It reported that 127,000 more courses of dental treatment were delivered in the South West during 2025/26 than in the previous year, while acknowledging that further action was needed.

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