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Offer of free dental care in Victoria draws long lineups

Local residents unable to afford overdue dental treatment began lining up around 4 a.m. Monday to take advantage of what turned out to be $37,000 worth of free treatment by five dentists and staff at offices on Fort Street and Sooke Road.
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Tuesday: Dentistry from the Heart offered free dental care with a lineup of people around the block. Dr. Rachel Staples worked on a unpaying patient (Lily) Qing Hui Li with C.D.A. Alejandra Romero in the background.

Local residents unable to afford overdue dental treatment began lining up around 4 a.m. Monday to take advantage of what turned out to be $37,000 worth of free treatment by five dentists and staff at offices on Fort Street and Sooke Road.

Wendy Penman, a Saanich mother of three, said she was “almost in tears” with relief, despite waiting for more than four hours to have a filling replaced. She works part-time but does not have a dental plan, and had not seen a dentist for about seven years because she could not afford it.

Ultimately, she was among 99 people treated at the Victoria branch of Academy Dental as part of a Dentistry From the Heart event also held at its Sooke office.

“Dental care is highly expensive,” said Dr. Rachel Staples, adding it’s even harder to afford in an economic downturn.

“This is a basic need,” said Kasia Duke, 28, who was also waiting for treatment. “It involves your health. There are people who are actually suffering.”

The Canadian Health Measures Survey in 2010 found that 62 per cent of Canadians had private dental insurance and six per cent of the lowest-income citizens had publicly paid coverage. But nearly a third of Canadians are on their own when it comes to paying for the care of their teeth and gums, says a report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Diseases of the gums and teeth are “chronic diseases in their own right,” notes the website of the Public Health Agency of Canada. They not only cause pain and eating problems, but can contribute to heart disease, stroke and the risk of premature childbirth.

A festive atmosphere prevailed at the Fort Street office, with free pizza, yogurt, fruit, tea, coffee and other food supplied by Thrifty Foods and Red Barn. About 20 patients in the roomy reception area awaited 40-minutes sessions with Staples and colleagues Katherine Kovalcik, Sean Filan and Mike Goad. Most of the services delivered at Fort Street were extractions, Staples said.

Dr. Frank Van Gyn worked at the Sooke office, which saw 75 patients and did $12,000 worth of dentistry, with more fillings and cleanings.

Dentistry from the Heart was founded in 2001 by Florida dentist Vincent Monticciolo and has grown to include hundreds of volunteer dentists. Academy Dental will be running the local event annually, and Staples challenged other dentists to get involved.

kdedyna@timescolonist.com