Dentaid is inviting dentists, dental therapists, hygienists and dental nurses to join its two week volunteering trips to Nepal in April and October 2016.
The teams will work with partner organisations in the capital Kathmandu and the Annapurna region in the foothills of the Himalayas. Much of the region's infrastructure was destroyed in the earthquake, including buildings used as dental surgeries, and there is a lot to be done in the field of dental health.
Temporary shelters have been erected to house dental clinics and Dentaid has provided portable surgeries, which can be operated without access to electricity and running water, in a DentaidBox. Organisations have been very proactive in helping their communities but volunteers from the UK will allow them to treat more patients, share expertise and promote oral health education.
Volunteers will be asked to provide preventative treatments such as fissure sealants and atraumatic restorative treatments alongside emergency pain relief. The team will work in busy clinics, remote communities and schools alongside Nepalese dental professionals.
Andrew Evans, strategic director of Dentaid, said: "Our colleagues in Nepal have shown incredible resilience and dedication following the terrible earthquake earlier this year. Dentaid has supplied equipment to Nepal and we are very pleased we can now send volunteers to the country to support their great work. This will be a truly rewarding experience helping people who desperately need dental care."
Provisional dates for the trip are Saturday, April 23 - May 7, 2016, with another trip planned for October. Volunteers are asked to raise £2,100 which pays for flights, accommodation, food on working days, in-country transport and a donation to help support the continuing work of our host project partners.
To find out more please email info@dentaid.org, call Jacqueline James on 01794 324249 or visit www.dentaid.org