A PIECE of lifesaving equipment has been installed at a dental practice in Basingstoke.

Omnia Dental now has a defibrillator in its car park, in Cliddesden Road, to help cardiac arrest victims in the community.

Unveiling the equipment was the mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Councillor Roger Gardiner.

He said: “It’s good to see that we have a dental practice in Basingstoke that cares not only about your teeth, but actively supports the local community by providing a site for this defibrillator for use by the public.”

He added: “Learn to use it – it’s not complicated. Hope you never need to, but be prepared to be a hero if the need arises.”

Husband-and-wife team Harry Gill and Sandy Dau have been running the practice since February 2014.

Mrs Dau, who is principal dentist, said: “We are a family led dental practice with many of our patients belonging to the local community as well as the surrounding areas of Basingstoke.

“We had a choice of installing the unit either externally for 24-7, 365 days a year for public use or internally, which would have meant it was only available during our opening hours.

“I know that time is one of the most important factors for survival and after approximately three to five minutes in cardiac arrest, irreversible brain-tissue damage may begin.

“For this reason I felt we had a chance to help our local community who can now utilise this service if needed, which should help save lives.”

Mr Gill said: “For every minute that passes without defibrillation, the chance of survival reduces by 14 per cent.

“The facts on how many lives are saved by this technology was astounding and we were unaware of many other sites currently offering this in Basingstoke.”