Smiles All Round After RideLondon Success For Chiswick Dentists

Completed gruelling event for dental health in developing countries

Four of the Dentist at Chiswick Charity Cycling Team (l-r) Joseph Gilhooly, Ralph Gilhooly, Phil Holbrook , Clem Mitford-Gilhooly (Ralph's son, who is aged 12).

Dentists who tackled the gruelling Prudential RideLondon cycle race have raised enough moeny for 250 life changing dental operations for children in developing countries.

The local team, dentist@Chiswick, Ralph Gilhooly and Gosia Cyganowska, joined by Joseph Gilhooly, took to the Surrey countryside to support Operation Smile UK and those affected by cleft lip and cleft palate conditions in some of the world most resource poor countries.

They have now put their names down for the 2020 ballot to take part in next year's race. They hope that the Dentist at Chiswick Operation Smile team will be the biggest ever.

Anyone who wants to do the race needs to enter the ballot from now. It is difficult to get a place and they are not guaranteed until early 2020.

However, Ralph says that they are happy to welcome others onto their team to fundraise for charity. Ralph commented:"Thanks to Chiswickw4 and my wonderful patients whose generosity has been overwhelming."

The Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 is one of the biggest cycling events of the year and an endurance test like no other.

Developed by the Mayor of London in 2013, Prudential Ride London is the world's greatest festival of cycling. he sixth edition will take place over the weekend of 28-29 July 2018.

Ralph, Gosia and Joseph, joined 37 other riders in a mission to raise enough funds for 130 surgeries for those affected by cleft lip and cleft palate conditions in some of the most resource poor countries around the world. See their Justgiving page.

Ralph said, “We’ve raised funds for Operation Smile UK since Prudential Ride London began in 2013 and we’ve joined together once again to take on the icon 100 miles to raise even more smile! For all too many children in countless developing countries access to surgery and dental care is often not a reality. Children and adults with an untreated cleft condition live with unimaginable emotional and physical suffering; yet a surgery that takes just 45 minutes can transform this."

Operation Smile had 40 riders taking part in this year’s Prudential Ride London (including the local Dentist@Chiswick).

August 9, 2019