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Dentist gives free care to Roma beggars

A dentist in western Sweden is offering free dental care to his town's Roma begging population.

Dentist gives free care to Roma beggars
Photo: Shutterstock
Johan Hagman runs a dental clinic in Varberg, western Sweden, and is now encouraging the Roma community to come in for a free check-up. 
 
He told local radio that the beggars' dental care options back home could be compared to Sweden's 100 years ago. 
 
When reached by The Local, Hagman said he hadn't made the move for publicity, rather out of the necessity to help. 
 
"The people who work with trying to find them houses got in contact with us and we decided to help," Hagman told The Local. 
 
"A lot of them have infections, many need to have teeth removed, and this is just our way of helping people in need."
 
As the Roma community comes from within the European Union, they don't have the same right to subsidized dental care as asylum seekers and immigrants without identity documents. 
 
He added that while communication was extremely difficult and mostly consisted of sign language, his team was doing its best to offer the often homeless migrants a better life in Sweden.
 
"I believe everyone should try and help out however they can when it comes to things like this," he told The Local.

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