NHS County Durham are offering a number of dental health advice sessions to be held in community venues for local people across the district of Easington.

The aim is to pilot a community-based dental health advice programme to overcome the barriers to accessing dental services and to increase the utilisation rate of NHS dental services for the population of Easington.

The sessions have been organised to improve awareness amongst local people of the NHS dental services that are available in their area.

The sessions are available at the following venues: Tuesday 9 June Age Concern, Easington - 10am until 1pm Wednesday 10 June Parkside Community Centre, Seaham - 11am until 3pm Dalton Park Shopping Complex - 1.45pm until 4.45pm Wednesday 17 June Healthworks, Paradise Lane, Easington - 10am until 1pm Monday 22 June Wheatley Hill Community Centre - 2pm until 5pm Wednesday 24 June Dalton Park Shopping Complex - 1.45pm until 4.45pm The venues have been selected to allow the public to ‘drop in’ for a confidential chat with an NHS dentist. The dentists will only provide verbal advice and will not be in a position to provide a second opinion on current or past dental treatment. No appointment is needed and each advice session is FREE.

The sessions will give local people the opportunity to seek advice from a dentist on NHS dental care and their potential treatment needs.

Local people will also be given the chance to discuss any potential costs of NHS treatment and the exemption criteria from NHS charges and to explore any fears or anxieties regarding treatment that they made have in a confidential setting.

An NHS dentist and members of the NHS dental team will be on hand to answer a variety of questions which may include: • how to find a local NHS dentist • types of treatment available under the NHS • payment issues • information on treating problems relating to the mouth, teeth and gums.

The project is aimed at those members of the public who may not have attended an NHS dentist for some time and those who may find attending a dental surgery difficult in the first instance. These will be purely advice sessions, so we hope that people will come along for a chat about their dental needs.

Richard Holmes, specialist registrar in dental public health for NHS County Durham, said: “Local residents who do not currently visit an NHS dentist may ask for an NHS dental examination at the same dentist’s practice if they wish.

“This is a great opportunity to meet and talk to an NHS dentist and members of the dental team in a non-clinical and confidential environment. We hope to answer as many dental questions as possible!”

ENDS For further information, contact the communications department on 0191 333 3386.

Note to Editors: There will be a photo opportunity on Wednesday 17 June at Healthworks in Easington. Any Journalist or Photographer wishing to attend this event should contact the communications department on the above number.