Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

In 2022 I finally qualified as a dental nurse. I'd always wanted to be involved in dentistry and having finally made the leap I want to try and make a bit more of a difference.

Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to access good (if any) dentistry, so I started volunteering with Dentaid - a charity that offers vulnerable and homeless people free access to basic dental care in the UK. It's been eye-opening and made me acutely aware of the impact poor dental health can have on so many aspects of your life - from bacterial infections and pain to feeling unable to break into a smile.

Next year I have signed up to head to Cambodia where many children have never seen a toothbrush, let alone a dentist.

For two weeks I will form part of a team offering basic dental care in schools, remote communities and slum areas as well as potentially a feeding programme for street children in Phnom Penh. The decay rate in these areas are extremely high and some of the patients have been suffering with dental pain for years. I will be able to support the dental teams and give oral health advice to children - teaching them how to brush their teeth and the importance of doing so.

I've been lucky enough to know what a toothbrush is all my life - many of these people in Cambodia - as well as those we see here in the UK - won't have been so fortunate and such a basic intervention and a little education could make a huge difference.

I always fund my own travel etc costs, and Ian is very kindly subbing a big part of this trip for my 50th birthday! but I need to fundraise more to cover Dentaid's other costs (for both their UK work, and overseas) such as the dental supplies and equipment we use. If you would like to help support this I would be most grateful.

Thank you, and big smiles! x

PS Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.