Local partnership set to give smiles back to survivors of domestic abuse
Award-winning local women's charity, Trevi, is delighted to work with Plymouth-based Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise (PDSE) to deliver life-changing dental treatment to those women affected by domestic violence and abuse.
In the UK, 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse, while 1 in 20 women experience extensive and repeated abuse and rape as children and adults. In Devon & Cornwall, there are 14,700 women victims of domestic abuse per year.
Women affected by domestic violence often experience immediate dental trauma like damage to teeth or loss of teeth and ongoing health problems related to lack of dental treatment. This can further lower their self-esteem even when they escape the violence because they no longer feel able to smile.
Many women at Trevi's Jasmine Residential Recovery Centre and those accessing their Sunflower Women's Centre may also have been homeless or sleeping rough for a time. In this instance, poor general dental health means they often suffer from severe dental problems such as pain and the lack of any teeth, causing difficulty with eating and speech.
Dental damage serves as a visible reminder of the abuse that survivors have experienced and can significantly affect their confidence. By restoring the smiles and oral health of women affected by domestic violence, can have a significant impact on their lives.
Tammy spoke to us about her experience of dental trauma during a frightening time in her life and the impact dental treatment will has on her life. Tammy says, 'My teeth have never been perfect. However, for years I was in a very violent relationship where my ex-partner literally pulled some of my teeth out with a pair of scissors damaging other teeth at the same time. This really affected my mental health, self-esteem and confidence - it was literally like something you would expect to see in a horror movie!
‘The controlling nature of the relationship, never being allowed to leave the house alone and poor mental health meant I was unable to get treatment for my teeth over the years.
‘On discovering I was pregnant and escaping the relationship I fled to a women’s refuge and relocated to Plymouth with the help and support of Trevi. I have tried on numerous occasions to get a dentist here in Plymouth only to be told that there is currently a long waiting list for NHS dentists and I can’t afford to go private.
‘I have been able to have teeth removed that were broken and causing pain and other times I have had to literally pull teeth out myself due to the pain and not being able to access a dentist. I now have no bottom teeth at all and on the top all I have left are a couple of broken stubs that are basically just the roots.
‘I went through something so horrific and traumatic which made me lose my teeth. I need to have dentures but there is no way I can afford this; this has a big impact on my everyday life. I don’t smile much in public and don’t like to FaceTime people or do zoom meetings. I struggle to eat a lot of foods as I can’t chew them and more than anything it’s just so embarrassing. I even worry that my child will get picked on because of it and I can’t even smile in photos with my children. I literally have so little self-confidence because of it.
‘Every time I look at myself in a mirror it’s a constant reminder of the domestic abuse I suffered for so many years and would love to put that behind me, it makes me feel quite depressed. It would mean so much to me to be able to smile with confidence again.’
Plymouth-based Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise has a reputation in the community for supporting vulnerable adults, including the homeless in the community. They visited Trevi to meet with Ruth and some of the women in need of dental treatment.
As a result, Community Dentist, Elizabeth Murphy, is now providing regular treatment to Jasmine residents on a Thursday. She meets with the mums and looks at priority needs. Treatment could include fillings, extractions and dentures. The impact for the women is huge, allowing them to improve their smiles and build their self-esteem.
Ruth Branagh, Jasmine Recovery Centre Manager, was referred to Peninsula through a friend and says,'Mother Teresa said 'Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.' Many of us take smiling for granted, but what if you felt so self-conscious because of your teeth that you never smiled for fear of what people would think. Many of our residents have lost teeth due to domestic violence, substance misuse and sleeping rough for many years. At Jasmine, there is no judgement, and we welcome our residents just as they are. However, we recognise that as our Mums start on their road to recovery and building self-esteem, part of that confidence comes from their beautiful smile. The offer from Peninsula Dental Community Outreach Team to provide dental treatment for our ladies will make an enormous difference and will definitely give them something to smile about. We are thrilled to collaborate with the team and Elizabeth Murphy, the community dentist.'
Karen Burn, Dental Outreach Lead for PDSE says, ‘I am really excited that we are able to offer this service to the women at Jasmine Recovery Centre, as they are a group of people who really need this service to boost their recovery and self-esteem. The impact of poor oral health is far greater than just someone with tooth decay, it can affect their general health with links to heart disease and stroke.
‘I am also delighted to be able to support the women in looking after their children’s teeth, by delivering a training workshop where they can ask questions and learn about the importance of good oral health for their children.’
Trevi are so excited about this partnership with Peninsula in giving their women the opportunity to get some new teeth and build self-confidence as they turn their lives around and learn to smile again.
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