More people in Grey-Bruce will be able to visit the dentist.
The Grey-Bruce Health Unit will be expanding dental services at the new Owen Sound site in the near future.
Manager of Health Protection, Lou D’Alessandro, says they received an 86 thousand dollar federal grant to improve their dental operatories in the public health clinic.
With that money, the health unit has bought two new, state-of-the-art dental chairs, and D’Alessandro says they hope to help more children and seniors.
He says it’s getting tough for those who can’t afford dental care to find a dentist who will work for the money provided under a government program.
Families can apply for the money from the Children In Need of Therapy or the Seniors In Need of Therapy grant, but D’Alessandro says the funds provided are lower than what most dentists are used to working for.
And, he says if you find a dentist who accepts the funding – it’s usually difficult for the family to get to that dentist.
D’Alessandro says they’re still working on getting some funding approvals and agreements in place with Ontario’s universities.
He says they’re in talks with the University of Western Ontario in London right now to have their dental students up here a couple of days a week to help out in the clinic.
D’Alessandro says, if possible, he’d like to get the clinic running six days per week.
The health unit already provides a screening program to pre-school, school age and First Nations kids who are then referred to dentists if they need further dental work.
