Mobile dental clinic benefits all ages
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According to the 2009 Oxford County Oral Health Status Report, roughly one third of county residents did not have dental benefits. And that is a significant number of people Oxford County Dental Health Services would like to help.
It does not require a trip to Woodstock – county residents have access to a monthly mobile dental clinic at the Tillsonburg Multi-Service Centre.
"Our Tillsonburg clinic, part of Oxford County Dental Health Services, provides full preventative hygiene care," explained Colin Cook, registered dental hygienist. "Basically it allows us to assess and design treatment plans for our patients."
Preventative care includes scaling, polishing, and fluoride applications.
"We're also able to do referrals to other health care specialists, whether that be dentists, orthodontists, periodontists, or medical doctors.
"Healthy Smiles is dedicated to the kids (17-and-under). Our primary care is for children under the age of 18, however we are able to see the families of those individuals through our Healthy Smiles program.
"We're open to any age," he stressed. "Our mandate is for children, but we are able to see adults of any age (including seniors)."
The dental clinic provides teeth cleaning to children and adults in three categories – free cleaning to children under 17 if the family does not have dental insurance... free cleaning to adults with a family net income of less than $20,000 if they do not have dental insurance and have not seen a dentist in two years... and $35 cleaning for adults with family net income of more than $20,000 who do not have dental insurance and have not seen a dentist in two years.
"We help... people who don't have dental insurance," said Cook. "And those individuals who are in between jobs or just haven't had a checkup recently. We'll see pretty much anyone if we can.
"We can give them a little bit of oral hygiene education and instruction to improve, not just their oral health, their overall health and well-being, because there is a link between your oral health and your overall health."
JUNE MOBILE CLINIC
Tillsonburg's next mobile dental clinic at the Multi-Service Centre (96 Tillson Ave) is Friday, June 13. Ideally they'd like to fill all of the available time slots.
"We like to have a full schedule of patients whether it's adults, children, families. Usually there's a summer rush – before summer everyone wants to get their teeth looked at – so we'll be here June 13th, then we'll be off for July and August, then we're back here in September and October."
The goal is to fill the mobile clinic once every month, he said, and potentially twice a month. Clinics are usually Fridays, which fit best with the Multi-Service Centre's schedule.
"It's open to all residents of Oxford County," Cook summed up. "Having the mobile clinic is nice because we get to access people in Tillsonburg, Ingersoll and surrounding areas who may not have the transportation means to get to Woodstock. So it opens up another alternative."
To arrange a visit to the mobile dental clinic, contact Oxford County Dental Health Services at 519-539-9800 ext 3510 (or toll free at 1-800-755-0394).