Global mission sees Norfolk dentist restoring smiles for hundreds of refugee children

Norfolk dentist Gautam Sharma flew thousands of miles last week as part of an international mission to provide dental treatment and preventative advice to displaced families from Syria.

In recent days, he has worked alongside medics and specialists from a variety of organisations and academic institutions, and has performed extractions and treatments for more than 300 patients – many of which are children.

The work is part of a global outreach programme, which sees Gautam working collaboratively with a group dubbed the Dental Mavericks. A follow-up for all those treated is scheduled to take place in around six months’ time.

Gautam, who sees NHS and private patients at his West Earlham Dental Health Practice back home, says the experience so far has been extremely humbling, “I had a sense of what this work might be like and how emotional it might be – but nothing could have prepared me for the impact of spending time in these wonderful communities.”