The latest Investec Beyond Business winners In.Dent are taking dental treatment out of the surgery and directly to marginalised communities.
Founder Natalie Bradley came up with the idea after working within an NHS organisation that carried out mobile dentistry. She saw how poor oral health is common for homeless people, and how not being able to smile due to confidence or pain can perpetuate the cycle further.
By providing dental services directly to marginalised communities, Natalie and the team are improving people’s health and wellbeing in a profound way.
“I recall treating a gentleman on the mobile dental van who was rough sleeping. All his remaining teeth were painful, black and wobbly. In two visits I took all his teeth out and provided him with new dentures. He returned to me a week later to tell me he was starting a job as a kitchen porter, as being able to smile gave him the confidence to be able to apply for a job and he feels like now, he can try to turn his life around.”
The support from Investec Beyond Business, as well as the opportunities for additional connections and funding the programme provides, will allow In.Dent to increase the number of clinics they run. Thanks to this, many more homeless people in east London will be able to enjoy the benefits a smile brings.
Investec Beyond Business is looking for fresh new business ideas to make the new normal anything but ordinary. You could be already trading (since July 2020), or just at the idea stage – as long as your business has a clear social purpose we want to hear from you.
Applications open
Brave new businesses wanted
New social enterprises in Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets can get a head start with £20,000 business funding and support from Investec Beyond Business.
