Free dental clinic give Penticton residents something to smile about
A free dental clinic has given residents of a town in British Columbia something to smile about.
Residents in Penticton were invited to attend the free clinic, which took place on August 14th. The clinic was organised by Greta Henning, a certified dental assistant, in conjunction with local dentist, Dr Amaal Ayoub.
Henning said that she had wanted to organise a free clinic for a long time and as fortunate to be able to work alongside Dr Ayoub to make the dream a reality. Dr Ayoub had also been eager to volunteer her skills and services and was advised to contact Henning and they started planning the free clinic.
Henning said that she was aware that many people in the area were struggling to afford dental care and as a result many were missing out on regular dental appointments. She started a Dental Access Fund and successfully organised the free clinic in Penticton; however, she admitted that she is looking for a more permanent solution for patients on a low income, those without insurance and those who are unemployed.
Henning said that she wants to set up a two-chair dental clinic in the community and rotate volunteer dentists so that there is an ongoing supply of affordable dental care. In addition to the support of Dr Ayoub, three other dentists have already approached her and she is confident that more would be interested once word of the clinic had spread.
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Hello,
I have been working with a young lady on disability that has extensive dental issues which I’m sure are affecting her general health. As of January, I think she is entitled to only $1500.00 of dental care which according to the dentist is a fraction of her needs. Is there a possibility that she would be able to be assessed by your group for care? I didn’t realize there was a group here in Penticton focused on this need, but as I was checking out Kelowna Gospel Mission’s site re: their dental clinics I thought I’d check the Penticton area also.
I await your response to this need.
Thank-you….
Sincerely,
Laurie