WORD of mouth is the Bright Smiles motorbike ride will return to Dubbo in 2017 to raise more money for the TOOTH program operating out of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) South Eastern Section Dubbo Base.
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The inaugural ride has raised almost $40,000 for The Outback Oral Therapy and Health (TOOTH) program that is reducing untreated oral disease in Far West NSW residents.
Since 2012 the program has delivered more than 1100 clinics and treated almost 7000 patients at Bourke, Collarenebri, Goodooga and Lightning Ridge.
Bright Smiles is an offshoot of the Outback Car Trek that has raised more than $25 million for the RFDS since 1990.
Organiser of the trek, Bill Patrick of Sydney, has taken the lead in building participation in Bright Smiles from 18 riders in 2016 to a projected 50 riders in three years.
He is confident it can be done given the enthusiasm of mostly Sydney-based riders when touring the Dubbo base on Saturday.
"It was very positive, very uplifting," Mr Patrick said after the conclusion of the 1000-kilometre and four-day ride on Monday.
"People were wowed by the length and breadth of the operation.
"We were there for one-and-a-half hours and in that time three flights came and went. That was a bit of an eye opener for city-slickers as well."
Already Mr Patrick has written to the base asking for permission for Bright Smiles to return on April 29 next year.
He said the Outback Car Trek had donated $1 million to the TOOTH program across three years.
"Now it's up and operational, TOOTH needs more funding," Mr Patrick said.
RFDS research shows oral disease can have a detrimental impact on overall health.
In 2015-2019 it is tackling the "well-documented gap in health and wellness" between country and metropolitan residents.
