Volunteer in Cambodia
We welcome applications from dentists, dental nurses, therapists, and hygienists who will volunteer in Cambodia to provide emergency dental care and oral health programmes.
We have places available for dentists on our 2026 trips:
- Cambodia 14/03/2026 - 28/03/2026
- Cambodia 07/11/2026 - 21/11/2026
To register your interest, click here
2027 trips will launch in autumn 2025.
Key Information
- The fundraising required for this trip is £2,950 plus a £300 non-refundable deposit.
- Flights are to Phnom Penh before travelling to other communities.
- All our volunteers should attend a training day ahead of their trip.
About our work in Cambodia
Cambodia is a wonderful country where you can be assured of a warm welcome. Sadly, events of the last century are still taking their toll and many people live without access to affordable basic services including dental care.
Dentaid volunteers work with Cambodian-based charity One2One and a number of Cambodian dentists to provide basic dental care in prisons, schools, remote communities and slum areas.
Each trip is different and you could be the first dental professional your patients have ever seen. Our teams provide pain relieving treatments, oral health projects and fluoride varnish programmes. The first week of the trip is usually spent near the capital Phnom Penh before the team travels to more remote regions.
Working conditions in Cambodia
Conditions in the clinics are basic but effective. In some places we’ll use portable dental equipment and chairs and in other clinics we’ll use school desks or plastic chairs with broom handles for headrests.
We work with local dental partners and help them reach more patients who have no access to dental care. Many of these are children who may not have had access to dental treatment before. The caries rate among children is very high, mainly due to lack of access to dental care and consumption of sweets and soft drinks. Where possible we use ART techniques to restore and save teeth. The number of patients we see each day in Cambodia is significantly less than we see in Uganda and Malawi and teams are usually able to spend a little longer with each patient. It will still be a busy and tiring environment with plenty of people to see but we need to make volunteers aware that there will often be a long break in the middle of the day, which is part of Cambodian culture.
You will be volunteering alongside a team with a mix of ages and experience with everyone coming together to set up clinics and pack them away at the end of the day. The first week is spent with our project partner One2One and the team stay in their boarding house. In the second week we’ll visit dental partners in more remote communities who are supported by Dentaid. Care is delivered in schools, rural communities, prisons and charitable programmes that promote healthcare.
Oral health education is critical to our work in Cambodia and the team will help to establish toothbrushing programmes and promote oral health. We regularly supply toothbrushes and toothpaste to those who attend our clinics where possible.
There is also the opportunity to help with a feeding programme for street children in Phnom Penh and volunteers can enjoy various activities on their days off, including visits to some of Cambodia’s famous temples and memorials, natural landmarks or animal sanctuaries.
Visiting Cambodia is a richly rewarding experience and will leave you with memories that will last a lifetime.
Preparing for your trip
Volunteers are encouraged to fundraise to cover the cost of their trip. Dentaid can give you lots of support to raise the fundraising required for this trip. The amount is £2,950 plus a £300 non-refundable deposit, which pays for your flight, accommodation, transport, meals on working days and dental supplies, and helps support our ongoing work in Cambodia.
Please note visas, vaccinations and sightseeing trips are not included in the price of your trip.
The team is led by an experienced trip leader and you will be invited to a training day ahead of your trip where you’ll receive lots more information and meet the rest of your team.
