Help us raise £48,000 for Raising Smiles dental campaign

Raising smiles, improving care - our new WHH Charity dental campaign aims to raise £48,000 to buy two intraoral digital scanners for our Orthodontics Department at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals.

The handheld wireless scanners are already used by many private surgeries, but currently at WHH traditional dental moulds are taken using the thick, sticky substance 'alginate' in plastic impression trays, which can be an uncomfortable experience for patients.

All funds raised from our Raising Smiles campaign will be used to purchase the digital scanners – one for Warrington Hospital and one for Halton Hospital – which swiftly scan teeth and gums, providing an immediate 3D impression.

This not only improves the patient experience for those needing treatment, but is also far more accurate and better for the environment.

Ian Edwards is a Consultant Orthodontist in WHH’s Orthodontics Department, which treats patients with very diverse needs, including patients that require jaw surgery, oral surgery and complex dentistry to restore spaces where teeth are missing.

He said “We see hundreds of patients a year at WHH who require specialist treatment that isn’t available on the high street. For some it can be quite daunting, particularly for children or even nervous adults who may have had a previous off-putting experience with a dentist.

“Many of us will recall unpleasant past visits to the dentist in which sticky impression material is placed in the mouth to take the moulds. Intraoral scanners offer a far more comfortable scanning process, reducing anxiety for patients and providing precise and reliable results which improve the overall quality of orthodontic care.”

There are several other benefits from using the scanners as a result of the reduced contact with the mouth, which minimises the risk of airborne infections.

Intraoral scans are also far more accurate, both in terms of how they function and in relation to the subsequent fitting of any appliances or braces, thereby eliminating the need for repeat impressions.

All donations made to Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals Charity help to fund additional services, specialist equipment and items for our hospitals, beyond that which the NHS can provide.

Money is invested where it is needed most across both hospital sites, from supporting neonatal babies and children to cancer and dementia patients, staff wellbeing, and much more.

By supporting our latest Raising Smiles campaign, you can help turn our goal into reality and improve our patients’ overall experience while receiving treatment at Warrington and Halton Hospitals.

If you would like to fundraise or get involved in the appeal, please call the fundraising team on 01925 662666 or email WHH.Charity@nhs.net