Dentaid

Dentsply Sirona goes Miles for Smiles with new charity walk in support of Dentaid

Dentsply Sirona is excited to announce the inaugural Miles for Smiles Charity Walk in support of Dentaid, taking place on Friday 30th September, 2022 in five iconic UK cities; London, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast.

There are an estimated 227,000 homeless people in the UK at present and access to healthcare, including dental care is one of the many huge challenges they face. Dentaid offers free-of-charge, emergency dental care through mobile clinics for homeless people across the UK who are suffering acute dental pain.

As a diverse and inclusive organisation, Dentsply Sirona has harnessed the drive and enthusiasm of their Employee Resource Groups – DS Women, DS Pride, DS Veterans & DS Bold – to organise this brand-new fundraising event.

They warmly invite all their customers, colleagues, family members and the wider dental community to join them in their mission to support Dentaid – to bring essential aid to the homeless community and to help restore their smiles.

Each of the walks will cover 22.7 km (or approximately 14 miles), following recognised half-marathon routes in each city. For a joining fee of £27, walkers will secure a place on the route of their choice and every single penny will go to Dentaid directly.

Entries are welcomed from individuals as well as group entries including sponsorship opportunities for dental companies who wish to support this important cause.

To get involved or find out more, click here.

Dentaid wins at the Charity Awards 2022

Dentaid has taken the top prize in the Healthcare & Medical Research category at this year’s Charity Awards.

The charity won the prestigious award for its work providing outreach dental care for people experiencing homelessness.  Dentaid’s four mobile dental units travel the UK with volunteers offering dental checks and treatment for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. 

In addition to helping people experiencing homelessness, Dentaid provides outreach dental services for head and neck cancer patients, fishing communities, refugees, retired service personnel and victims of domestic violence.

Since the pandemic, demand for Dentaid’s services has skyrocketed and this year the charity will run around 400 UK clinics. The charity also plans to grow its fleet of vehicles and establish regional hubs in order to reduce travelling time and fuel costs.

Dentaid was presented with the trophy at a black-tie ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on Thursday (16 June) hosted by broadcaster, commentator and writer Ayesha Hazarika.

The Charity Awards shortlist is chosen by an independent panel of expert judges, themselves all eminent figures in the charity sector. The judges scored each entry against six Hallmarks of Excellence and praised Dentaid for its “aspirational work that was making a huge difference.”

“It is such an honour to win this award,” said Dentaid CEO, Andy Evans.  “It’s testament to the hard work and generosity of our amazing volunteers, supporters and everyone who’s been part of our journey over the last 26 years.   The need for our work is greater than ever, with more people experiencing homelessness struggling to access dental care.  By helping them out of dental pain and increasing their confidence we can help them to move on to a new chapter in their lives.  “Winning this award is recognition of what we have achieved so far but it will also help us to grow and develop so we can help more people in the future.”

Matt Nolan, chief executive of Civil Society Media which organises the Charity Awards, congratulated Dentaid on winning the highly-coveted award. 

“The standard of entries this year was as high as ever, despite the challenges that the sector has faced during the pandemic – so Dentaid should be very proud to have won their category. Their programme has delivered great results.

“For 22 years the Charity Awards have been recognising and celebrating the fantastic work that large and small charities do up and down the UK every day of the week, and the rigorous judging process ensures that only the very best-run charities win awards.”

Peter Hugh Smith, chief executive at Overall Awards Partner CCLA, added:

“Dentaid demonstrates beyond any doubt that the charity sector really can change the world. Huge congratulations to their team.”

Henry Schein Dental UK joins Dentaid and The MalDent Project

The initiative is to help increase access to dental care for under served communities in Malawi

Henry Schein Dental UK, along with the charity organisation Dentaid and the Scottish Government-funded international development project The MalDent Project, are helping to increase access to dental care for under served individuals in Malawi. As part of an ongoing initiative led by the MalDent project to build Malawi’s first purpose-built dental hospital and school, Henry Schein Dental UK, The MalDent Project, and Dentaid recently helped enhance two central hospitals in the community by repairing existing and installing new equipment in the dental departments and preparing dental chairs for installation in peripheral medical centres. The dental hospital and school will support Malawi’s new Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree programme at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences.

Chris Cox from Henry Schein Dental UK, Stuart Bassham from Dentaid, and Jeremy Bagg from The MalDent Project and the University of Glasgow participated in a service trip to help enhance the equipment and materials available at the two central hospitals. At Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre, they repaired and maintained compressed air supplies by restoring electrical connections and renovating the floors throughout the treatment centre. At Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, they helped to upgrade the dental treatment, oral surgery, and clinical skills departments by repairing and servicing several existing units and installing new dental equipment. The team also visited Kamuzu University of Health Sciences to meet senior staff members and spend time with the dental students studying in Malawi.

“The reality is that with only a small number of dentists to serve an entire population, many individuals in Malawi lack proper dental care, a basic necessity that many of us take for granted,” said Chris Cox, Product Manager, Henry Schein Dental UK. “I’ve seen first-hand the complications that poor oral health can cause, and it is important that everyone has access to dental care. That is why I continue to support this cause in any way that I can, and I am honoured to have been able to contribute to this initiative.”  

In support of Kamuzu Central Hospital, a dental chair was installed in the oral surgery theatre. Previously, all patients requiring oral surgical procedures had to lie flat, which hindered comfortable patient positioning and limited access for the dental team. The new unit has helped to make the treatment more effective and more comfortable for both the patient and the dentist. The dental chair, along with other equipment, was donated by Dentaid.

In addition to the dental chair installation, the following items were completed at Kamuzu Central Hospital:

  • Dental simulators were installed in the clinical skills department and existing simulators were serviced to keep them in good working order. This equipment will help the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences double the amount of pre-clinical students training in the Kamuzu Central Hospital at a time.
  • Hands-on user training was provided for the dental students, helping to build their knowledge of the equipment. Furthermore, these simulators are also used by dental therapy students from the neighbouring College of Health Sciences, adding to the educational value of the upgraded simulation facility.
  • Seven further treatment centres were serviced and prepared to be brought into rural community medical centres across the country and installed by the local biomedical engineers. This allows the health care providers to conduct more check-ups and preventive dental care for the community, without them having to travel great distances.
  • Henry Schein Dental UK also donated tools, spare parts, and service kits for the biomedical engineers to utilise moving forward.

“At Henry Schein, we have a long-standing commitment to advancing health equity and advocating for and raising awareness of the needs of under served communities who are disparately disadvantaged,” said Patrick Allen, Managing Director, Henry Schein Dental UK, Ireland, South Africa, and The Nordics. “Supporting the first purpose-built dental hospital and school in Malawi reflects our continued efforts to increase access to care for under served populations, and we are dedicated to being a catalyst for change to help improve access to quality, affordable health care.”

In addition to the maintenance projects, Henry Schein Dental UK is also helping to design a training programme for the biomedical engineers in Malawi to help address the need for enhancing dental equipment maintenance and repair skills in the community. In these various ways, Henry Schein Dental UK, Dentaid, and the MalDent Project, together with a new partner, Medical Aid International, are working together to positively impact the future of oral care in Malawi.

The MalDent Project is a collaboration between the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (formerly the University of Malawi College of Medicine) and the University of Glasgow Dental School with a goal to spread important oral health messages to remote and rural communities. Its core funding is provided by the Scottish Government International Development Programme. Henry Schein Dental UK has partnered with the MalDent Project to help provide ongoing support for the creation of the dental hospital and school.

For more than 25 years, Dentaid has been working to improve access to safe, sustainable dental care and oral health education projects in the UK and globally. Henry Schein Dental UK has partnered with Dentaid on dental equipment donations and other technical support projects in the past.

This Malawi initiative is part of Henry Schein Cares, the Henry Schein’s corporate social responsibility programme. Henry Schein Cares stands on five pillars: empowering Team Schein to reach their potential, advancing health equity and expanding access to care for under served communities, accelerating environmental sustainability, strengthening, and diversifying our supply chain, and maintaining strong ethical governance. Health care activities supported by Henry Schein Cares focus on four main areas: (1) wellness, treatment, prevention, and education; (2) capacity building; (3) emergency preparedness and disaster response; and (4) health system strengthening.

Photo Caption: Chris Cox from Henry Schein Dental UK and Stuart Bassham from Dentaid working with Malawian therapists and biomedical engineers, providing them experiential training on dental chair installation – part of a link with Medical Aid International.

 

Dentaid shortlisted for the Charity Awards 2022

Dentaid is delighted to announce that it has made the shortlist for this year’s Charity Awards, the longest-running and most prestigious awards scheme in the charity sector.

The dental charity, based near Southampton, has been shortlisted in the healthcare and medical research category for its mobile dental clinics for people experiencing homelessness which provide access to dental care and oral health programmes for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

Dentaid’s UK programme has grown rapidly since the pandemic and this year the charity’s four mobile dental units will help thousands of people experiencing homelessness out of dental pain, with the help of hundreds of volunteer dental professionals.

The Charity Awards, which announces its shortlist today (11 May), is the charity world’s longest-running, biggest and best-known awards ceremony. This year’s charities have been judged by an independent panel of charity leaders as having demonstrated outstanding best practice from which other organisations can learn.

The ten category winners, plus the recipients of the Overall Award for Excellence and the Daniel Phelan Award for Outstanding Achievement, will be announced at a black-tie dinner on 16 June, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

Matthew Nolan, chief executive of Civil Society Media, which organises the Charity Awards, congratulated Dentaid on making the highly-coveted shortlist.

“The breadth and quality of the work being done by charities across the UK continues to astonish. Dentaid should be very proud to have made the shortlist.

“For 22 years the Charity Awards have been identifying and celebrating the fantastic work that UK charities do. Our rigorous judging process highlights those charities with the most innovative ideas and the most effective approaches to delivering real change.

“All the nominees on this year’s shortlist are examples of large and small charities who are truly leaders in their field. I wish Dentaid the very best of luck on the night.”

Andy Evans Dentaid CEO said: “It’s a great honour to be shortlisted for the Charity Awards and this is recognition of all the hard work we have invested in helping people experiencing homelessness to access dental care.  We wouldn’t be here without our amazing volunteers and supporters and we’re truly grateful to everyone who’s been part of Dentaid’s journey over the last 26 years.”

Dentaly.org donates 5,000 toothbrushes to Dentaid

People experiencing homelessness will benefit from a donation of 5000 toothbrushes thanks to Dentaly.org.

The company gave a grant to Dentaid to help the charity buy the brushes that will be distributed at its mobile dental clinics across the UK.

According to research, only 35 per cent of people experiencing homelessness are able to brush their teeth the recommended twice a day.  Many of Dentaid’s patients either don’t own a toothbrush or aren’t able to replace old ones. 

Dentaid’s four mobile dental units visit soup kitchens, hostels and day centres across the UK with volunteer dental professionals providing a range of free treatments for rough sleepers and those who are insecurely housed.  Oral health education is a key part of the service and every patient is offered a new toothbrush and paste.

“We are very grateful to Dentaly.org for this generous donation,” said Dentaid’s CEO Andy Evans.  “It’s always heart-warming to see how grateful our patients are to receive our oral health packs. Our volunteers always talk to our patients about toothbrushing and we want to ensure they have the best possible chances to look after their teeth.”

Dentaid also provides outreach dental care for head and neck cancer patients, fishing communities, victims of domestic violence, military veterans and looked after children. Many of these will also benefit from the Dentaly.org brushes.

“We were glad to have this opportunity to support the invaluable work that Dentaid is doing for homeless people and others in need around the UK,” said Dentaly.org COO Amanda Napitu. “A clean toothbrush is something that most of us take for granted, but such a simple commodity makes a huge difference to basic oral health. As Dentaid not only distributes these brushes but also educates their patients about oral hygiene, their work has a lasting impact.”

To learn more visit www.dentaid.org or https://www.dentaly.org/en/

Straumann Charity Bike Ride 2022: fundraising for Dentaid

The Straumann Charity Bike Ride 2022 is fundraising for Dentaid – a fantastic charity that supports vulnerable people with access to essential dental care. Ahmed Mahammed will be taking part and he says:

“My experience of the last Straumann Charity Bike Ride was amazing. It was my first year of riding a bike and I wanted to challenge myself as well as raise money for a charity. I had never cycled more than 50km in one day and I signed myself to do 150km a day for 5 days. It was a challenge physically and mentally, but I was proud that I pushed through the pain/tiredness and flat tyres!

“The last few years have been difficult with the pandemic. I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could still do it, being older and a bit more experienced as a cyclist. I also wanted to raise money for Dentaid and help ease the life of the less privileged in some way. 

“I have been preparing by eating lots of food and watching lots of cycling shows on my indoor bike. Fingers crossed this works and my knees hold up with all the hills in Spain! I have confidence in all the people I know to help me raise some great donations for the charity. 

“I think it is important to involve people around you to be part of your challenges and dreams. I hope that promoting the amazing charity work Dentaid carries out will inspire people to donate!”

Any donations are very welcome and most appreciated at Dentists in Lycra 2022 fundraising for Dentaid Ltd on JustGiving if you are able to show your support!

For more details , please speak to your local Straumann representative, visit: www.straumann.com.

Denplan pledges to invest in providing dental services to those most in need

Denplan, part of Simplyhealth, is delighted to announce a new partnership with Dentaid, to improve access to vital oral healthcare provision to those most in need around the UK.

 

The UK’s leading dental payment plan provider will be working closely with Dentaid, a charity that works to improve oral health in the UK and overseas for the next 12 months and our investment means the charity can create and safeguard up to 25 mobile ‘Denplan Outreach Clinics’ for homeless and vulnerable people across the UK.

These clinics are vital at a time when government reports are showing an increasing inequality in access to healthcare.

 

Denplan will also be supporting an extension to Dentaid’s BrightBites, an oral health education scheme which teaches children about the importance of looking after their teeth. With Government statistics showing an estimated cost of £33 million for hospital admissions in 0–19-year-olds for tooth extractions due to tooth decay this is an increasingly important area of focus.* Denplan’s support will specifically enable Dentaid to develop education materials for pre-school aged children and their parents/carers.

 

Catherine Rutland, Denplan’s Clinical Director comments: “I know the huge difference Dentaid’s mobile clinics makes to the clients they treat; people who otherwise may not have the opportunity to see a dentist. I’m so pleased that through our support the charity can provide an additional 25 clinics that will specifically target the most vulnerable in our society enabling them to access the oral healthcare they need.

“I’m also pleased that Denplan is supporting the BrightBites early years oral health programme because we know that ensuring a child has the best start to their dental care can have a significant influence on their oral health for life. As dentists, we’re also very aware of the high levels of dental issues in children and know we shouldn’t underestimate the importance of teaching children about good oral health at the earliest opportunity.”

Andy Evans Dentaid CEO adds: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Denplan.  This will enable us to provide outreach dental care for more of the most vulnerable people in our society. Thanks to Denplan we will be able to send our mobile dental units to new locations where volunteers will provide dental treatments for people experiencing homelessness. We’ll also be able to help other hard-to-reach groups who are living with the misery of untreated toothache. Since the pandemic, demand for our work has soared and our help is needed more than ever.

“Furthermore, we’ll be able to work with Denplan to develop our BrightBites oral health education programme for early years. Sadly, a quarter of children have dental decay by the time they start school, with children in areas of higher deprivation more likely to be suffering. Through our contacts and charity partners we plan to teach children and their families about the importance of dental health to improve their chances of having a healthy smile.”

All Dentaid’s clinics are staffed by dental industry volunteers and they are always on the lookout for more people to support their work of providing emergency dental treatment for those in need. For more information, or to volunteer, contact ukclinics@dentaid.org.

 

Denplan is continuing to ensure that every day, every decision we make, and every action – big or small – not only helps improve the health of our company, customers and communities, but also the health of everyone and everything we hold dear. For more information about our community impact, visit parent company Simplyhealth’s website: www.simplyhealth.co.uk/about-us/community-impact

 *source Hospital tooth extractions of 0 to 19 year olds – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Sign up now for the Together Dental Monopoly Run

Teams are being invited to sign up for the first ever Together Dental Monopoly Run Challenge being held in London on Saturday 23 June.

This is the chance to play Monopoly for real by dashing around the capital’s famous streets and landmarks, scoring points along the way. The event is being jointly run by the dental charities Bridge2Aid and Dentaid as part of their Together Dental fundraising partnership.

All the teams will set off from Baker Street at 11am and will have six hours to visit as many places on the Monopoly board as possible. There are lots of bonus points to pick up for spotting extra features from the famous game and being the first team to be photographed in each location.

Teams will comprise up to six players who must work together to devise their route around the Monopoly board. The must travel on foot, on the underground or by bus and stay together with every team member appearing in each photo.

Entry is charged at £200 per team and all the money will be shared equally between Dentaid and Bridge2Aid to help them improve access to dental care around the world.

The charities are inviting practices, dental companies and others in the industry to be part of the event which is the first in a series of Together Dental fundraising initiatives.

“We are really excited about this event,” said Paul Tasman from Bridge2Aid. “It’s a first for us and it’s going to be a huge amount of fun and a brilliant day out. We’ve already had a very positive reaction and it’s going to be spectacular.”

Andy Evans from Dentaid added: “The Together Dental partnership is a fantastic opportunity for Dentaid and Bridge2Aid to fundraise together so we can help more people living in poor and remote communities around the world to access the dental care they need. We have lots of exciting events coming up and the Monopoly Run will be a great way to start them.”

To sign up for the Together Dental Monopoly Run in London on Saturday 23 June or find out more email kaysha@bridge2aid.org or call 01453 546776.

The Together Dental fundraising partnership was launched in 2017 enabling leading dental charities Bridge2Aid and Dentaid to jointly fundraise.

All proceeds from all Together Dental fundraising activities will be equally shared between both charities allowing Bridge2Aid and Dentaid to develop their projects improving oral healthcare around the world.

Together Dental fundraising activities are in addition to Bridge2Aid and Dentaid’s individual fundraising programmes.