The Global Child Dental Fund (GCDF) is the world’s leading global dental charity for children.

Our overall aim is to ensure that the most disadvantaged children, from the most deprived communities around the world, have access to dental care and do not suffer from obvious dental decay in their lifetime.

Our strategic objectives are the preservation and the protection of good health – especially, but not exclusively, in the area of oral health – through intervention programmes, research initiatives and dental leadership training.

These objectives are pursued by:

developing public-private partnerships
funding and supporting national taskforces
co-ordinating regional services and education programmes
promoting evidence-based oral health messages
educating dental professionals so they can advance our agenda

Our history

The charity was established in 2008 in order to build on the achievements of its predecessor, the Global Child Dental Health Taskforce (GCDHT).

The genesis of the GCDHT was a European Union Presidency meeting held in England in September 2005. At this meeting, 40 European senior dental advisors and chief dental officers collectively called for a taskforce to raise the profile of the worldwide crisis of dental decay among disadvantaged children. To this end, the landmark ‘Declaration on Child Oral Health’ was signed, and Professor Bedi founded the GCDHT with a broad mission to bring the underdeveloped global oral-health agenda into line with the general health agenda. The World Health Organisation officially endorsed the GCDHT’s mission and the UK government underwrote the project with a 5-year grant.

The charity now drives forward all the activities initially established by the GCDHT.

“We believe every child can and
should have a healthy smile because
oral health is crucial for general health
and well-being”

Professor Raman Bedi, Chairman