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Free dental services offered in Nanaimo

NANAIMO – Free dental services will be available on April 9 for people who might not be able to afford them normally.

Free dental services will be available on April 9 for people that may not be able to afford them normally.

Dental hygienists across Canada will be offering services at no cost, as part of the Gift from the Heart event, which is entering its eighth year. Diane Townsend, an independent dental hygienist and area event organizer, says appointments will be available between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., on Gabriola Island and Nanaimo, for teenagers and adults.

Walk-in patients will not be accepted.

Gift from the Heart services are for those that don’t have the financial wherewithal for oral care.

In particular, Townsend said it is for people that don’t have dental insurance, haven’t been working for whatever reason, or haven’t seen a dentist or had a cleaning for a long time.

“Basically, [it will be] assessment of their oral health, a cleaning, polish, fluoride, oral hygiene instruction,” said Townsend.

On Gabriola Island, services will be offered at 691 Unit 9, Church St. and in Nanaimo at 1145B Dufferin Cres.

Townsend has secured volunteers, but could use more.

“I put out about 30 e-mails [March 28] ... VIU has a dental hygiene school and I’ve asked some of the instructors if any of their students would like to come and greet people, do the instruments for me, just work as a team. Offer refreshments and just make it a community day,” said Townsend.

Bev Woods, an Ontario dental hygienist, started the event and according to a press release, dental hygienists saw more than 800 clients during Gift from the Heart 2015.

About $400,000 worth of free services have been granted during the event’s existence.

To book an appointment or volunteer as a hygienist or dentist, please e-mail gabrioladental@shaw.ca or birdental@shaw.ca.

For more information on the event, please visit www.giftfromtheheart.ca.



Karl Yu

About the Author: Karl Yu

After interning at Vancouver Metro free daily newspaper, I joined Black Press in 2010.
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