Dentists, hygienists and office staff at a Kelowna dental clinic gave up their free Saturdays to volunteer for a project coordinated by a local charity.
Thanks to the help of East Meets West and Access Dental clinics, dozens of children who don’t have easy access to dental care are able to get appointments.
About 60 children sat in the dentist's chair to be cleaned and examined.
“Our mission has always been the health and education of children,” said Rahul Virk, president of East Meets West. “Especially recently with the influx of people coming to Kelowna, a lot of children don’t have access to basic dental care.”
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For some children, it was their first visit to the dentist, while others only received dental care in emergencies.
“There are several reasons for this, one very important one being the current financial burden,” said Vikas Raj, a dentist at Access Dental Care.
“Dental care is the most neglected these days, but it's so important because dental health is so important to well-being as well. We're not only here to help the children, but we're also trying to educate the parents on how to take care of their teeth in the future.”
The program, called Smile 24, is aimed at families with no dental insurance plans or inadequate insurance plans.
“It teaches them that going to the dentist isn't scary,” said Sharon Boscoe, the mother of one of the children who received dental care. “It teaches them healthy habits, and (my daughter) loves it.”
Each child went home with a big smile and a new electric toothbrush.
