Open wide - new dental unit for patients

The Clinical Teaching Unit at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon provides a wide range of free dental care to those without a dentist.

 

Experienced dental students offer treatment under the supervision of tutors at the modern facility.

 

Peter Ash, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board’s Director of Primary Dental Care, said the new unit was a great benefit for health in the area.

 

He said: “Patients who perhaps have serious need of dental care but for a variety of reasons have not been able to access it in the past, will be able to get good treatment here free of charge.

 

“At the same time it will provide fifth year dental students with more practical experience before they finally qualify and go onto positions in practices.

 

“The unit is an investment not only in the standard of dental health in the region but also in the future dentists who will provide care for people in Wales and across the UK.”

 

Mr Ash said that the unit would help patients reach a good standard of dental health and hopefully allow them to register fully with an NHS dentist.

 

David Browning, of Aberdare, was one of the first through the doors for treatment and was impressed with what he saw.

 

He said: “It’s all new, local – it’s all there for us.”

 

Rohit Chandegra, aged 22, is a fifth year dental student and was pleased with the chance to gain hands on experience in a state of the art unit.

 

“The patients have been really pleased with the new facility. They are really grateful to be getting dental care.

“The facility is brand new and everyone here is looking forward to the challenge.”

 

The new state of the art unit provides 18 treatment bays and follows on the success of the first Community Based Clinical Teaching Unit at St. David’s Hospital, run by Cardiff and Vale UHB and Cardiff University, which has been running for eight years.

 

The new unit is funded by the Welsh Government and run in partnership between Cwm Taf Local Health Board, Cardiff and Vale UHB, and Cardiff University.

 

Professor Michael Lewis, Dean of Cardiff School of Dentistry and Divisional Director of the Dental Division of the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said: "The new Mountain Ash outreach clinic is doubly good news for dental services in Wales.

 

“As Dental Division Director, I'm delighted to see this fantastic state-of-the-art facility delivering services to patients in an area of high need. As Dean of the Dental School, I'm equally pleased to see that our students are being taught with the best possible equipment and will benefit from delivering dental treatment directly to patients in their own area."

 

Dr Chris Jones, Chairman of Cwm Taf Health Board said: “The opening of this Unit will allow the training of Dental Practitioners within the Cynon Valley to run alongside the Postgraduate Training Unit in Porth. These two units are bringing young dental professionals to work in the valley communities in the most modern and up to date facilities in Wales.

 

“Cwm Taf Health Board is proud to be a partner in these developments and is very much looking to the future of providing the best quality and access for patients to dental services. 

 

“The Undergraduate Dental Training Unit in Ysbyty Cwm Cynon is the first element of the new facility to open.  During the spring the rest of the hospital will be commissioned – an exciting and essential component of the future healthcare provision in Cwm Taf.”

 

Anyone interested in receiving treatment at the new centre should contact 01443 715000 from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday.