Dentaid celebrates 30th anniversary with special events across the UK
View our 30th Anniversary Week gallery
Dentaid has marked its 30th anniversary with a week of special events thanking volunteers and patients.
We first launched as a charity in 1996 to deliver dental equipment to professionals working in poor and remote communities overseas. Since then our work has expanded to provide treatment and advice to people experiencing homelessness, harm, poverty and abuse throughout the UK on board our fleet of 12 mobile dental units and oral health education to children living in areas of deprivation through the BrightBites scheme.
To mark the occasion, we held special clinics in a range of locations throughout the country between June 1st and 5th, from South Shields, York and Dewsbury in the north to Norfolk, Dorset and Kingston in the south and east. Teams delivered care to people experiencing homelessness, those in recovery from addiction, and children and families experiencing poverty.
As the anniversary co-incided with Volunteers’ Week, dentists and dental nurses who worked on clinics between June 1st and 5th were given special goody bags to honour them for their work in providing dental care to those who need it most, while patients attending the unit were given oral health packs containing items generously donated by Bupa Dental Care, Listerine and TePe.
Among the highlights of the week was the official launch of Dentaid’s new County Durham hub to serve communities in the North East of England and Scotland. Featuring a dedicated mobile unit and staff, the hub will visit communities and deliver clinics alongside project partners in Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland, supporting those facing additional challenges in accessing dental care. It will work alongside Dentaid’s existing three hubs based in the New Forest, Maidstone in Kent, and Holmfirth in West Yorkshire.
A special clinic took place in South Shields on Wednesday 3rd June to mark the occasion, supporting service users in recovery from addiction alongside the South Tyneside Adult Recovery Service (STARS).
On Wednesday 3rd June, volunteers from Dentaid and Denplan delivered BrightBites education sessions to more than 1,20 children in twelve primary schools and nurseries in Southampton. The sessions provide toothbrushes and toothpaste to children, along with fun interactive lessons on tooth names and functions, brushing advice and the importance of keeping a healthy diet.
The week concluded with the annual Miles for Smiles event, organised by Dentsply Sirona and supporting Dentaid. Hikers trekked 13 miles through picturesque landscapes across Surrey, starting at Dentsply Sirona’s Weybridge office, winding through scenic countryside before returning to the starting point for a well-earned celebration.
Andy Evans, CEO of Dentaid The Dental Charity, said: “It really only seems like yesterday when Dentaid was involved in its first project to bring equipment across Europe to support dentists in Ukraine.
“To think how far we have come since then and how many people our work has helped is just extraordinary and is testimony to the hard work of so many people, including many volunteers, during that time.
“Since day one we’ve always had the clear goal of helping more people to access dental treatment, because it should never be something that anyone should struggle to access. Dentistry is one step on the path to a brighter future and we have been very fortunate to see that first-hand on so many occasions.
“We are looking forward to even more success in the years to come.”
More information on Dentaid’s work throughout the last 30 years can be found here.