THEY are more renowned for dressing up patients' teeth, but yesterday dentists donned fancy dress to raise money for charity.

Staff at Kensington Dental Clinic in Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, dressed in an array of costumes for the benefit of Dentaid, a charity that collects funds for dental care in developing countries.

Anybody awakening from the effects of general anaesthetic may have been alarmed to see an angel standing over them, while the presence of a Sheikh may have deterred Sven Goran Eriksson from visiting the clinic, but it was all in a good cause.

Other outfits included a jockey, Pocahontas, a 70s disco dancer and a cat, as patients donated money to their dentists.

Manager Catherine Brown said that the money raised would help to improve the standard of dental care in the poorer areas of the world.

She said: "As well as raising money, we are raising awareness about the what little dental care exists in some countries."

Some countries still use witch doctors who are not trained, while others have only very few dentists with poor equipment.

Posters were placed around the practice, and some members of staff also held collections around the town.

"We all support the charity, everyone who works here does, and we donate money most months," said Mrs Brown.

"But people enjoyed it as well, it was good fun."