Low-income seniors in Prince George will have the chance to receive free dental care this April.
For the second year in a row, Family Dental Care’s staff is volunteering their time for Give Back Smile Back, an initiative that provides dental care to patients in need.
“There’s a lot of seniors out there who aren’t able to find the financial means for dental treatments or dental care and it’s a great way to be able to give back,” says Megan McEwan, practice Manager at Family Dental Care.
All four Family Dental Care clinics will be participating in Give Back Smile Back, which will take place on Sunday, April 7. Staff will volunteer their time to provide free cleanings, extractions, and fillings to seniors in need.
McEwan says last year there was a huge amount of interest in the program.
“There were tears, there was laughter, there were so many emotions from people who hadn’t been able to have treatment done or their teeth cleaned in years because it is just something not everyone can afford,” says McEwan, “They were so appreciative and the vibe in the clinic was just electric.”
To qualify for the program seniors must be over the age of 55, receiving a guaranteed income supplement, and must fill out an application at the Seniors Resource Centre (721 Victoria St.) by Friday, March 22.
“We made 91 appointments in the first hour of the day last year,” says Lola-Dawn Fennell, executive director of the Prince George Council of Seniors and manager of the Seniors Resource Centre. “It’s very popular and my phone hasn’t stopped ringing.”
Fennell says there’s a lot of impacts on seniors who don’t have appropriate dental health.
“If you have a hole in your teeth and you can’t afford dental care, you can’t chew, and you don’t have adequate digestion,” says Fennell. “The lack of dental care has huge impacts on your life including social impacts because if you have rotten teeth you don’t want to be out and about and seen in public.”
Give Back Smile Back is an initiative organized by the Dental Corporation of Canada and happens every year in April, known as Oral Health Month.
McEwan says Family Dental loves participating in the initiative to give back to the community and intends to participate annually.
“We are very grateful to them because there is a lot of low-income seniors in this town that need dental care and can’t afford it,” adds Fennell.
To apply to the program, contact the Seniors Resource Centre (721 Victoria St.) by March 22 at 3 p.m.
The Seniors Resource Centre is open weekdays between 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
