A dental nurse and aspiring actress has flown off to Southeast Asia to help families brush up on their oral health.

Part-time actress and model, Puja Parmar, 31, who works at Northwick Park Hospital flew out to Cambodia on April 21 armed with hundreds of toothbrushes to educate people on oral hygiene. 

Puja, who lives in Queensbury in Harrow, will be working in a remote village several hours drive from the capital Phnom Penh, with Hope Agency, a skills and training charity helping underprivileged children in Cambodia. 

Puja said: “I will be based in a local village working alongside pupils and parents helping and educating them about the importance of oral hygiene.

“It’s estimated that one-in-five 12 year-olds in rural Cambodia have never brushed their teeth and the habit of chewing betel nut is one of the main causes of mouth cancer.”

Puja, who has appeared in EastEnders and is a former runner-up in Miss India UK, has previously supported orphanages in Mumbai.

This latest charity mission will take the Asian Bride model to an area with soaring temperatures of 35C, to deliver hundreds of toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes to locals.

Puja paid for the health items using her own money and donations from local businesses and work colleagues. 

She will also be highlighting the impact of sugar intake, healthy snacking, the importance of regular brushing and the links between gum disease and heart disease.

Puja will also help with work in rice fields and gardens, teaching English and sharing her love of drama and music skills which includes playing the drums.

She added: “It has been one of my life-long passions to travel abroad and help those that are less fortunate and I would like to thank everyone who has made a donation and supported me.”

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust is one of the largest integrated healthcare Trusts in the country, providing services to the people of Harrow, Brent and Ealing.