Town trying to fill gap in NHS dental care
BBCA community is working together to tackle a lack of NHS dental services.
The Goods Shed, a community space in Wadebridge, Cornwall, has been hosting visits from a mobile dental treatment service which runs emergency clinics on behalf of the NHS.
But the trustees of the community interest company which runs the centre are also lobbying for a permanent dentist's chair in the building, with director Stephen Knightly describing NHS dental health services in Cornwall as among the "worst in the UK".
A Department of Health spokesperson said it was taking action to fix NHS dentistry after "decades of decline" but added there was "more to do".
Smile Together is a social enterprise that delivers NHS-commissioned and private dental care across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
A steady stream of patients have sought treatment at the vans during their dental case sessions in Wadebridge.
Among those who needed help was Peter Gonnet who said he could not afford private treatment. "For a tooth extraction with my private dentist they wanted £546 which I think is a bit much for a pensioner like me to afford," he said.
Paul Thorpe said he visited the van because he had toothache: "The last time I went to a dentist was 12 years ago, I had several fillings but some of them have dropped out so I've got tender gum problems," he said.
Pensioner Peter Brown from Launceston emerged from the van after receiving emergency treatment.
"I moved to Cornwall six years ago and haven't been able to get into a dentist since," he said.
"I had a loose tooth and they've taken it out now but I nearly pulled it out myself."
The Smile Together vans had been hosted by The Goods Shed but the Wadebridge community group has also been working on its own, longer term solution.
Director Stephen Knightly said: "We have a room here where we can provide a facility.
"Our long term aim is to provide a permanent chair working with Smile which will free up their mobile service to visit other parts of Cornwall which are desperately in need. Cornwall is one of the worst places in the UK for teeth.
"In my work as an architect I've met several dentists and when they work for the NHS they lose money for every patient they treat.
"We can't change the world but people pulling out teeth with pliers isn't good so we're doing what we can to help."
Another trustee Elliot Osborne added: "It started when I took my five year old granddaugher to my dentist with bad toothache, they wanted £165 up front which I think is absolutely shocking.
"We'd like two permanent dental chairs here, it's probably going to take a couple of years but if we don't try we'll never get it."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the government was "fixing NHS dentistry after a decade of decline".
"We have improved access to urgent dental treatment by prioritising patients with the greatest need, and millions of additional courses of treatment have been delivered.
"But we know there is still more to do. In the South West, 127,000 more dental treatments were delivered in 2025-26 than the year before."
Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.