Following last year’s incredible experience providing much needed dental care to remote communities in Kenya, Dr. Vivak Shah, and his wife Rupal, are now preparing to travel to Arusha in Tanzania. This will be to provide similar care over a two-week period supporting SmileStar. 

SmileStar is a UK based charity that organises dental clinics to disadvantaged communities across Africa and India, as well as to ex-Royal Marines in the UK. The aim is to improve dental health and provide free dental care to groups who do not have access to safe, effective dental care. 

SmileStar has helped over 3000 patients in Kenya, 500 in Tanzania and 1000 in Uganda. 

All the SmileStar volunteers are self-funded, including airfares and living expenses. The volunteers include a team of highly skilled dentists, dental nurses, dental therapists, doctors and non-dental practitioners to help with sterilisation. 

Dr Shah will be providing urgent dental care and oral health education to disadvantaged rural communities in Arusha and the surrounding areas. The team will be staying locally, working in partnership with the local communities. 

Dr Shah’s patients will know only too well his passion for dentistry and helping people. The Saving Smiles team are proud of his willingness to help others, making time for such remarkable projects despite his professional commitments and young family – a truly admirable demonstration of leading by example. 

We wish Dr Shah and his wife Rupal the best of luck on this new adventure! 

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Sir Winston Churchill