Over the August Bank Holiday weekend we cycled from Ilfracombe in North Devon to in , a distance of 104 miles.  We did this in order to raise money for Dentaid.  Even though the event has finished you can still continue to donate.

Dentaid is the charity that provides a “dental mission” to third world countries where thousands die of dentally related illnesses every year. Dentaid is now the leading oral health development charity in the world having supported oral health programmes in over 50 countries around the world.  At this moment, it is conceivable that more people are suffering pain from untreated dental decay and oral disease than any other global health complaint. Over the last 20 years, oral health has deteriorated significantly in nearly every middle and low income country around the world, and hundreds of thousands are dying every year through preventable infections, oral diseases and dangerous cultural practices.

Oral diseases are a major problem in middle and low income countries. Even with the “pandemic” tooth decay, still the greatest cause of tooth loss worldwide is periodontitis (gum disease). This causes difficulty eating, speaking and damages self esteem. Other diseases have more serious consequences. Without early diagnosis and treatment, infections, tumours and other anomalies grow unchecked until they develop into life threatening conditions. Tens of thousands die every year through tooth infections and oral diseases.

In many parts of the world, there are cultural practices which are hugely damaging to health. In a wide part of for example, there is a cultural practice commonly known as “Ebiinyo” but technically termed Infant Oral Mutilation. Parents are persuaded that the tiny white specks in babies’ mouths are not teeth, but are in fact worms, which will cause the child to get sick. Village healers then remove them using unsterile instruments like knives, screw drivers or just their bare fingernails.

As well as causing pain and suffering to the child, underlying adult teeth are frequently damaged. Tragically, in a significant proportion of cases, infections like septicaemia set in and the child dies.

Dentaid provides, dentists, equipment and oral health education to these countries.

So please sponsor me for this worthy cause.