A LANDFORD dental charity is on a mission to help provide care to people caught up in the refugee crises in Uganda and Greece.

Dentaid has launched a Christmas appeal aiming to raise funds to send teams of dentists to the refugee camps on the northern Ugandan border where three million people have fled from South Sudan.

Money raised will also fund more equipment for the dental clinic in the camp so teams of volunteers can treat more patients.

For £500 a day Dentaid can send 10 Ugandan dentists to the camps to run clinics for people in desperate need of dental care.

Dentaid is also planning to send portable dental equipment to a medical facility set up in a nearby village where a room will be transformed into a dental clinic.

Dentaid CEO Andy Evans said:“Dentaid’s mission is to provide safe dental care to the most marginalised and vulnerable people in the world and this Christmas we are raising money to help those caught up in refugee crises in Uganda and Greece.

“Dental infections are adding to their misery and affecting their general health and wellbeing. We would like to say thank you to everyone who supports us this Christmas.”

The international dental charity, which has headquarters in Giles Lane, Landford, has worked in Uganda for the last 15 years and supports a network of dental professionals who provide outreach clinics in poor and remote communities.

In Europe thousands more refugees are preparing to spend another Christmas in overcrowded camps. In Moria Camp on the Greek island of Lesvos Dentaid runs a clinic for refugees suffering severe dental pain.

Trip leader Jane Lelean said: “It’s simply terrible with about 7,000 people crammed into a camp designed for 2,000 and more people are arriving each day.

“We treated 300 people in a week but we know we only scratched the surface and many more need urgent dental care. People are in terrible pain and have severe dental infections. It’s essential that Dentaid continues its work in Moria Camp.”

A team of dentists and dental nurses from Dentaid travelled out to the Philippines in August with fellow south Wiltshire charities Serve On and Team Rubicon UK to help communities in Mandaue, Cebu. The Dentaid team set up a treatment centre where they treated more than 450 patients. They also spoke to school children about dental health and handed out about 1,000 tooth brushes.

To donate to the appeal visit dentaid.org/Christmas.