A dental practice in West Yorkshire is demonstrating how providing NHS dental care is not the only way to help patients in vulnerable circumstances.
At a time when access to dental care is increasingly difficult for many, owner of Tower Hill Dental Practice, Rachel Dilley, offers a shining example of how private dental practices can give back to the community.
Rachel opened the doors of Tower Hill Dental in April 2023 and since then has managed to build a practice with a reputation for having a deep commitment to tackling dental health inequalities. Despite numerous attempts to gain NHS funding, her applications have always been declined. To help make private dentistry as affordable as possible, she introduced a membership plan with Practice Plan very early on and strives to keep her fees as low as she can.
A Vision Rooted in Care
From the outset, Rachel and her co-owner, Gavin Rees, had a clear ethos: to run a successful dental practice that also gives back to the community. After witnessing the distress of patients unable to access NHS dental services, she and her team have done their best to help those in need, offering care at vastly reduced rates and sometimes free of charge.
Earlier this year she launched an initiative aimed at making dental care more accessible by offering comprehensive dental check-ups for just £25—which is less than the current NHS fee. These appointments included a digital scan, X-rays, and a treatment plan, ensuring patients received high-quality care at an affordable price. She initially earmarked 120 places but received such an overwhelming response that within seven days she had signed up 222 new patients. As well as addressing patients’ immediate needs, the initiative also laid the foundation for ongoing care, with many patients becoming plan members at the practice.
Free Dental Care for Pregnant Women
Rachel intends to target her charitable efforts at a different group in the community each year and this year she chose pregnant women currently without a dentist, as well as children aged under five. This decision was driven by alarming local statistics showing a 50% increase in hospital visits for dental issues among young children. With grant support from the Community Foundation for Calderdale (CFFC), the charitable arm of the practice, Dental Educare, was able to set up this initiative and begin working with local organisations like Locala to reach more families.
Pregnant women were identified as a priority group as hormone changes during pregnancy can adversely affect a woman’s teeth and gums. Rachel’s team now provides free private oral health examinations and treatment plans to expectant mothers, with their children automatically becoming patients at the practice until age five. This approach not only improves maternal health but also builds a firm foundation for better oral health outcomes for the next generation.
Supporting Survivors and those in Recovery
Rachel and the team also extend their charitable work to survivors of domestic violence and individuals recovering from substance misuse. Some of the pregnant women who have come through her doors have also experienced domestic abuse, and she and the team have been able to help go some way to restoring their confidence by improving the health of their smiles. Her dedicated team has also been able to do the same for patients recovering from alcohol and drug misuse, helping them to become dentally fit.
Building a Charitable Team
A recent addition to the work of the practice has been Dental Educare, the charitable arm of Tower Hill Dental practice. The initiative is led by Rachel and has a small team consisting of a funding and partnerships coordinator, a social media manager, a nutrition education lead, an oral health educator, and a referrals coordinator. Crucially, the dentist and dental nurses involved donate their time, saving the charity a great deal in costs.
Funding comes from a mix of small grants and support from Tower Hill Dental Practice. While Rachel acknowledges the challenges of running both a business and a charity, it’s made possible thanks to the commitment and dedication of the team.
A Model for Private Dentists
NHS dentists’ hesitation about making a move to private dentistry is often down to their belief that they will no longer be able to make a contribution to society as a private practitioner. However, Rachel’s story challenges the notion that leaving NHS dentistry means abandoning vulnerable patients. In fact, Tower Hill Dental demonstrates that private dentists can often do more. By offering affordable plans and free care to specific groups, Rachel has created a model that balances sustainability with social responsibility.
She believes private dental practices are ideally situated to make a contribution towards the care of people in vulnerable circumstances. Her advice to other private practitioners is simple: “Offer free dental checkups for children under five. Let’s work together to help every child get the dental care they need.
Looking Ahead
With plans to open a second practice in a new location sometime next year, Rachel remains committed to their mission. As yet, she has not found the right space for a second practice but is optimistic it will appear soon.
For Rachel, success isn’t measured in revenue or prestige, but in happiness, community impact, and the strength of her team. “I’m not a dentist; I am a registered dental nurse with 35 years of experience. I always strive to do my best, but what truly drives me is having a big heart. When you lead with that, it`s incredible what you can achieve.
This is also the case for the rest of the team at Tower Hill Dental. The shared sense of values and culture are what drive the team. When the second location makes its appearance, recruiting new staff will be easy as there is already a waiting list of clinicians and staff wanting to become part of the team and make a contribution to the community.