The UK’s largest oral health campaign ‘National Smile Month’ run by the British Dental Health Foundation has joined forces with Bridge to aid (B2A) to educate the people of Tanzania on the importance of oral health. Bridge to aid is a dental and development charity working towards a world free from dental pain.
Using dental volunteers, B2A provides emergency dentistry training for health workers in Africa. Mark Topley, chief executive of Bridge2Aid said: “We…want to make people in the UK aware that for 70% of the world, access to the simple pain relieving services that we can take for granted is not available, and to encourage them to get involved in changing that.” The charity has trained over 180 local health workers in emergency dentistry since 2005, and now trains 60 health workers each year. This allows people in rural areas to improve their lives in the long run.
The campaign which is now in its 36th year, takes place between 20th May-20th June, and aims to improve the oral health of people in the UK. Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, stated: “The vital work being carried out by Bridge2Aid highlights that the messages of National Smile Month are not only relevant in this country but all over the world.”
