Reigate Dentist Joins Charity Mission to Help Children in Cambodia
A dentist from Reigate travelled 6,000 miles to take part in a charity mission to help needy children. Bethan Hatton visited Cambodia as part of a charity trip organised by Dentaid.
Bethan, who works at Hartswood Dental Practice, visited Kampong Speu Province as part of a Dentaid programme to provide dental treatment for children. She was joined by five dentists and two dental nurses. The team set up a clinic and invited children from local schools to visit. They worked with basic equipment in difficult conditions, but the treatment they provided made a big difference and the children were very grateful. Most children in Cambodia have never seen a dentist before and dental care is not accessible to most people. The clinic provided by Dentaid was an opportunity for children to receive treatment to ease and prevent dental pain and also for children to learn a little about oral hygiene and looking after their teeth and gums.
Bethan was inspired to do charity work by her mother, Jacky, who is the owner of Hartswood Dental Practice. She has helped out on projects abroad before and was eager for Bethan to enjoy the same opportunities and experiences.
Initially, the team was aiming to see between 300 and 350 children during their stay, but they worked longer hours to ensure they got to see every child, taking their total patient tally up to 576.
Bethan has already raised more than £3,000 for Dentaid, which funded her trip and some equipment and supplies, which will help to enable people to access better dental treatment.
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