DENTAL nurse Meg Sadler helped bring a smile to the faces of more than 1,200 people in rural Kenya.

The 23-year-old from Lydney, who works in Monmouth, spent a fortnight in the towns of Nyahurui and Nakuru as part of a charity mission.

Meg, who worked as part of a team, was dubbed Muthoni – very good friend – by the people she helped.

She said: “Over the two weeks we saw 348 adults and 919 children and most of them did not have access to dental care.”

They carried out 633 extractions and 433 fillings, gave out toothbrushes and toothpaste and gave advice on how to prevent cavities and how to look after their teeth.

Meg said: “We were in a poor, rural area and people just don’t have access to dental care – some people had pulled out their own teeth because there was no alternative.

“People were really grateful for our presence and what we were able to do to help them.

“I was really grateful to have had the experience and to have helped so many people.”

Meg, who has been a qualified dental nurse for six years, added: “To see how we helped people and to see the gratitude for what we did has really made me want to go back.”

Meg had to raise £2,000 for her trip to Kenya this year and she received a lot of support from family and friends.

She said: “A lot of people helped me raise the funds and I’m really grateful for that.

“The trip gave me the opportunity to use my nursing skills to help people who really needed it.”