Free Rolling Dental Clinic Serves Low Income People

The public health officials from Orillia do have high hopes that they can paint back the beautiful smile on the face of low income families; a new vehicle fully equipped will become free dental office on wheels for the locals.

This is a custom made RV, which has been purchased with provincial funding, and it cost around $500,000. This entirely new rolling free dental clinic is actually being operated by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.

Those mostly eligible to benefit from the program are children aged 17 and younger. They will have access to a wide array of free dental services, such as: professional dental cleanings, regular checkups, dental fillings, X-rays, and several other such services for which the families do not have to pay.

According to Dr. Charles Gardner, who is a medical officer of health, proper oral health has a major impact on overall well being. Such free dental programs are extremely important, since they will help people maintain good dental health, and prevent decays or other problems.

If they wouldn’t get these dental treatments, they would most probably suffer from severe complications a few years later (such as severe tooth infections), which would require complicated and expensive dental treatment plans.

The free mobile dental office is going to travel to several communities all throughout the region and will provide low income people with the necessary dental services.

At first, the clinic will operate in the city of Orellia for one day per month. The clinic will be found at the Common Roof offices 169 Front St. S. Later on, it is quite possible that the dental clinic will come more frequently to the city.

The manager of the health unit’s dental health program Bonnie Jeffrey says that currently in Ontario about 40% of the people do not have any dental coverage.

She also states that the medical staff knows and understands that there are so many families out there that would require proper dental health care for their children. The medial staff also estimates that there will be served at least 500 patients in Orillia.