These boots are made for walking…. and that’s just what they did on Sunday 26^th July 2009 when the Sparkle team completed an 11 mile sponsored walk across the bridges of London in aid of the UK based charity Children Walking Tall (www.childrenwalkingtall.com).

Children Walking Tall is a charity dedicated to helping slum and street children in India. They provide food, shelter, medical care and education for some of the poorest children in India. In a safe, playful environment, they receive a fun and creative education, and also have plenty of time to do what children the world over should do, which is PLAY!

There are thousands of children living in slums and on the streets of Goa alone. Some are orphans, others are runaways escaping poverty or abuse. These children originate from all over India and often come with their families looking for work. They build basic homes from bamboo, plastic, cardboard or corrugated iron, forming slum communities on any spare land they can find. 

Kavita Verma says “We all decided early on in the year that we wanted to do something to give back in some way and we chose this particular charity as after some research we found that the most of the monies collected were actually getting to the children that needed it most and making a difference at grass root level.  The walk across the bridges was an idea the team came up with, being holders of Best Practice London two  years in a row.” 

The walk took us past some of the most beautiful landmarks in London including the Peace Pagoda at Battersea Park, Big Ben, the Sphinx at Embankment, finishing at Tower Bridge. 

Sunita Verma, Principal at Sparkle says `It was a great day out. So many people gave us money as we were walking and were extremely generous, We saw so many beautiful sights that you tend to miss when you are in a car. It really feels good knowing that we all did something to help Children Walking Tall.  Doing this walk has certainly inspired us to do something again…but next time we may try something a little more adventurous like abseiling or jumping out of a plane!”. 

A very BIG thank you to all friends, family, patients and suppliers who have sponsored us. We hope to have raised  £1500.00.   

Its till not too late..you can still donate at www.mycharitypage.com/kavita

• Scientific research has linked gum disease to heart disease, strokes, diabetes and premature and low birth weight babies

• Eating sugar free foods isn’t just good for your waistline – it’s also much better for your teeth

• Whilst fruit smoothies can help in providing some of your 5 a day fruit portion – they an be really bad for your teeth as it coats them in sugar – the tooth enemy

• One third of people in Britain admit to brushing their teeth once a day or less

• One out of every five people questioned couldn’t even remember when they last changed their toothbrush* (it is recommended to change it every 3 months)

• People have admitted picking between their teeth with everything from pierced earrings to business cards and paperclips to screwdrivers – instead of cleaning with the recommended floss or an interdental brush

• Fluoride is added to many toothpastes to help prevent decay – yet one in every three people thought it was either a mint flavour or a marketing gimmick

• Fluoride is scientifically proven to be a “magic – bullet’ that helps prevent tooth decay – yet surprisingly its only added to less than 12% of UK water.

• British is best in the eyes of the public. A resounding 8 out of 10 people would not consider travelling abroad for dental treatment – 6 out of every 10 still said that they would call their UK Dentist if things go wrong when they got home.

Source: Brush for Health, British Dental Health Foundation

 Sponsored Walk over the bridges of London, finishing at Tower Bridge

The team at Sparkle Dental Boutique will be hitting the streets of London on Sunday 26th July 2009, in aid of the UK Charity, Children Walking Tall (www.childrenwalkingtall.com) 

Walking the bridges of London from Battersea Bridge to London Bridge an 11 mile walk with the aim of raising monies to help slum and street children in Goa, India, with food, education, medical facilities and shelter. Dr Sarb Cholia, the resident Special Orthodontist also plans to sing at each bridge to raise monies from passer-by’s.

There are thousands of children living in slums and on the streets of Goa alone. Some are orphans, others are runaways escaping poverty or abuse. These children originate from all over India and often come with their families looking for work. They build basic homes from bamboo, plastic, cardboard or corrugated iron, forming slum communities on any spare land they can find. 

Any monies raised will be used to provide, milk, fruit, vegetables as well as educational equipment for children and will be delivered in person by Kavita Verma, Boutique Manager at Sparkle. Kavita is taking a sabbatical for 3 months at the end of this year to volunteer her time with these children. 

Kavita says `I am really looking forward to spending time with the children. It is something that I have wanted to do for ages. I have no doubt that it will be challenging but also very rewarding. I loved the work that Sunita and I did painting classrooms and playing with children over Christmas, in India two years ago. I am hoping that we manage to raise enough monies so that I can take some toys and possibly a lap top for educational purposes, when I go.”     

The team are already in training with some team members getting off a few stops earlier from their bus route and walking to the practice to serious walking practice over the weekends. The vocal chords are also being warmed up in preparation for singing!!  

Watch out Britain’s Got Talent because the team at Sparkle certainly have!!!   

You can make a donation at http://www.mycharitypage.com/Kavita/ 

On average per month 

Chicken & Eggs  £37

Dry Provisions    £55

Fish                    £17

Fruit                   £54

Milk                    £42

Rice                   £24

Vegetables         £36   

According to the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD), it appears that more and more men are opting for cosmetic dental treatment.  Men used to account for 28 per cent of all veneers, but now account for nearly a third of all procedures, according to an audit of cosmetic dental work undertaken by the BACD.

Similarly, men now account for 25 per cent of all orthodontic procedures as compared with 20 per cent previously.   

Women are still the key spenders on cosmetic dentistry, accounting for 61 per cent of all procedures and still account for the majority of whitening procedures.  

Dr Sunita Verma from Sparkle Dental Boutique says, `The results show that men have become more accepting of having cosmetic dental treatments.  We certainly have seen this trend at Sparkle with many men having cosmetic dental treatment to enhance career prospects whilst others are just opting for such procedures to give them the confidence to look and feel good.’ 

Sunita goes on to say, `With the advent of new procedures such as the Inman Aligner, which we recently introduced at Sparkle, we have seen a growing number of adults wanting to correct uneven teeth with the help of this revolutionary removable appliance. Some may have worn braces when they were younger but their teeth have moved out of alignment whereas others can now see the benefit of the aligner in correcting their teeth within a space of weeks.’   

The top five dental procedures for 2007: 

• White fillings

• Crowns – Inlays – Onlays

• Veneers

• White fillings

• Teeth whitening