In March 2014, Midland Lead supplied lead-lined gypsum boards and the associated lead fillet strips for use as radiation protection within an x-ray facility at a newly constructed dental clinic in Tanzania, East Africa. The 2.4m x 600mm x 12.5mm boards were manufactured with a Code 3 lead lining, ideal for dental medical imaging applications.

Midland Lead were approached by dental equipment manufacturer A-dec UK and dental charity Bridge2Aid to supply radiation protection materials to a new dental practice in the city of Mwanza, Tanzania.

The charity already ran Hope Dental Centre in Mwanza, but this existing practice was in a very poor state and no longer fit for purpose. Hope Dental is a great example of a social enterprise; the clinic is fee-paying, attracting those who can pay for their services living in the city of Mwanza. All profits from the clinic are used by the charity in fulfilling its core aims – training local health workers to provide patients with much needed access to emergency dental care. In developing countries such as Tanzania, up to 75% of the population do not have access to a dentist. The conversion of an existing residential property to a brand new clinic, full of the latest dental equipment donated by A-dec UK and other industry suppliers, means that the clinic is now better placed to create funds for the charity.

The new practice, which was completed in 2014, now provides the necessary facilities for the in-house clinicians, together with visiting locums, to improve the services offered, which range from extractions and fillings through to orthodontics and even teeth-whitening. The practice move is a positive step towards helping people who live in developing countries gain access to emergency oral surgery.

Bridge2Aid is a dental charity whose vision is for a world free from dental pain. The charity works to make the basic elements of emergency dentistry available to rural communities within developing countries. The charity does this by providing rural-based health workers with the skill, equipment and resources to provide emergency dental care.

Bridge2Aid has been successful in delivering their vision in both Tanzania and Rwanda during the last 10 years, making access to life-changing dental treatment available to more than 3 million people. You can find out more about their work and how to donate at www.bridge2aid.org.

A-dec is one of the largest dental equipment manufacturers in the world. The company, which was established over 50 years ago, designs, builds and markets much of what you see in dental treatment rooms today.

A-dec UK: info@a-dec.co.uk t: 024 7635 0901 www.a-dec.co.uk

The lead-lined boards were funded by Chipping Manor Dental Practice in the UK, who also provided project management services, as part of their on-going commitment to Bridge2Aid.