‘Issues include pain, infection and dental trauma’
Amanda Menyena has a tooth filled by Dorsa Rezaei (R) and Matt Ide, inside the new £5m Peninsula Dental Education Practice in New George Stree(Image: William Telford)
Plymouth’s new £5m dental clinic has treated nearly 1,000 NHS patients – many in severe pain – in just a month.
The Peninsula Dental Education Practice, the first of its kind in the South West, opened in the former Lawsons building in New George Street on February 9.
Run by the University of Plymouth, via its subsidiary Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise, the clinic delivers urgent, and routine, dental care – providing an extra 12,000 emergency NHS dental appointments each year.
And it is on track to deliver that with a university spokesperson saying: “We’re approaching the 1,000th patient to be treated at the clinic.
“Issues dealt with so far, following referral through NHS 111, include pain, infection and dental trauma.”
At the end of last year, PlymouthLive reported that there were 22,000 people on the NHS waiting list in the city, and child oral health was among the worst in the country.
Outside the new Peninsula Dental Education Practice in New George Street(Image: William Telford)
The new clinic, which has 13 surgery rooms and students using each one to treat four patients a day, is aimed at helping anyone in pain who can’t find an NHS dentist.
Dental treatment and advice is carried out by final year dental and dental therapy students under the supervision of experienced clinicians.
There are 80 such students available to work in the new clinic, and more than 20 are in each day, working as dentists and assistants.
Some of the university’s executive team have just visited the clinic to mark the 1,000-milestone, including a look behind the scenes at some sector-leading technology.
University of Plymouth Vice-Chancellor Prof Richard Davies (L) and executive dean of the Faculty of Health, Prof Bob Fern, at the X ray machine in the Dental Education Practice(Image: Submitted)
That included a look at an x-ray machine – or, more accurately, a 3D CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography) machine – a specialised imaging device that produces detailed 3D images of the teeth, jaw and surrounding facial structures.
“These are then used to aid diagnosis, treatment planning and dental procedures,” the university spokesperson said.
“It is great for our clinical staff and students to have access to this as it’s incredibly useful in supporting patient care.”
The clinic also has a “pandemic-proof” air handling system and the spokesperson said: “Effective ventilation is especially important in a clinical dental environment as it helps remove aerosols generated during procedures and reduces the risk of spreading infections.
University of Plymouth Vice-Chancellor Prof Richard Davies (centre) with executive dean of the Faculty of Health, Prof Bob Fern, Prof John Curnow, Prof Rob Witton and Nathan Findlay, from Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise, looking at the ‘pandemic-proof’ air handling system at the Dental Education Practice(Image: Submitted)
“The system maintains healthy indoor air quality by filtering out dust, chemical vapours and odours, while also keeping temperature and humidity stable so both patients and clinicians stay comfortable.”
The practice offers urgent care in line with the Government’s plan for neighbourhood health services, prioritising care for patients in pain, suffering from infections or needing urgent dental care.
Patients can access appointments by calling 111. The clinic does not accept walk ins or people calling directly – they have to be referred through the NHS helpline.
PlymouthLive first reported on plans for the clinic in 2024 and work began last summer. The building was previously Plymouth City Council ’s First Stop Shop, and before that homeware store Lawsons.
Award-winning building firm Devon Contractors carried out the transformation of the building, in partnership with architect Kendall Kingscott.
Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise (PDSE), a subsidiary of the University of Plymouth, has taken a 20-year lease on the building and remodelled two floors into treatment and consultation spaces.
PDSE, as the university’s student clinical placement provider, has been operating from four clinics across Devon and Cornwall, with two in Plymouth and one each in Truro and Exeter.
Within those clinics, more than 430 students on the university’s dental surgery and dental therapy programmes work alongside experienced staff to hone their skills. Last year, they provided more than 35,000 appointments to almost 6,500 patients.
Those facilities are already running at capacity, with the new practice enabling more students to learn skills.
PDSE is a member of the Plymouth Dental Taskforce, which was created in 2023 in response to the crisis in dentistry. The Plymouth City Council-led taskforce is cross-party and includes representatives from local health organisations as well as the city’s three MPs.
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