Dentaid The Dental Charity enjoyed a record-breaking year in 2025, continuing to grow its services in support of those most in need of dental care and oral health advice.

This year the charity's volunteer-led, dedicated teams have helped to provide essential care for thousands of people facing homelessness, harm, poverty and abuse, along with those in fishing communities, Traveller, Roma and Gypsy communities, refugees and those seeking asylum and other vulnerable members of our communities.

In 2025, Dentaid greatly expanded its work in helping vulnerable women gain access to dental care, including survivors of domestic abuse, females facing exploitation or modern slavery and women working in the sex industry. By strengthening links with charities that offer secure and supportive environments in which patients feel safe, volunteer teams were able to build trust and treat dental issues that often resulted from highly traumatic times in patients' lives.

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A Dentaid patient in Hastings. Credit: Dentaid The Dental Charity

Dentaid's work now covers more than 35 counties around the UK, with clinics held in new locations in Cornwall, South Wales, Northamptonshire, Herefordshire, North Yorkshire, County Durham and Tyne and Wear for the first time in 2025. It also launched a dedicated northern hub, funded with the support of the Bupa Foundation, to bring care to under-served communities in the region. The hub includes a dedicated vehicle and clinical team, lessening the financial and environmental impact of sending teams directly from the charity's base in Hampshire.

Further south, Dentaid marked the first anniversary of its partnership with NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB in February, where people facing health inequalities can access care at foodbanks, community centres and places of worship. More than 7,000 patients have now used the scheme since its launch.

December saw Dentaid mark a decade of providing services to people experiencing homelessness, harm, poverty and abuse by returning to Dewsbury – where its UK work began. Dentaid partnered with local charity Kirklees in Recovery for the anniversary event to support those affected by homelessness and poverty, ensuring that those with nowhere else to turn in the town could receive support with their oral health.

Dentaid's oral health education programme BrightBites, supported by Denplan, reached the milestone of educating over 180,000 children about their teeth since its launch. The programme aims to teach half a million primary school and nursery-age children about the importance of healthy and happy smiles by 2028.

This all comes alongside Dentaid's continued goal of supporting people overseas where access to dentistry is minimal and many people face long-term challenges with their oral health. This year, volunteer teams supported over 10,000 people in need of dental care in rural villages, schools, churches, prisons and orphanages during six visits to Uganda, Cambodia and Malawi.

This Christmas Dentaid is calling on supporters to help it give the gift of a smile to people who have no other access to treatment. Donations can be made through the charity's website and every penny will go towards supporting its work – including the provision of oral health kits for rough sleepers and increasing access to dental care for families experiencing poverty.

To learn more about the charity and how to get involved with fundraising or volunteering, visit www.dentaid.org.