Pencuick dentist takes 13,000-mile round-trip to treat patients on one of the world’s remotest islands

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A dentist from Pencuick is looking forward to making a 13,000-mile round-trip to treat islanders on one of the world’s remotest countries.

Penny Granger travels 6,500 miles from home to provide treatment for communities living on the Atlantic island of Tristan de Cunha, which lies between South America and Africa. The journey takes up to 10 days, but Penny said that all the effort is worthwhile. Her upcoming trip will not be Penny’s first visit. She has been treating local people and bringing her daughter, Elika, now 10, since she was just 18 months old. Penny tries to visit every summer/autumn for around 5 weeks.

The island, which lies 1,746 miles from Cape Town, is home to just 264 people. While Penny tends to the dental needs of the population, Elika visits the island’s school.

Penny said that she loves working in such a remote area, and she’s very grateful for the opportunity to take Elika on such an exciting adventure on a regular basis. After flying to Cape Town, the duo makes their way to the island, which is dominated by a volcano, by boat.

Penny described her previous experiences as “a joy” and said that it was hugely rewarding to see the benefits of prevention programmes that she has worked on along with the island’s dental nurses, Teresa and Michelle.

Penny has a history of intrepid adventures, and she was previously part of a team working for the British Antarctic Survey, providing dental care at bases in the South Pole.

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