Dean of the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. Doug Brothwell speaks at an event to mark the start of Free Dental Day. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

New U of S dental clinic busy for free day

Oct 23, 2020 | 2:04 PM

Prince Albert’s newest dental clinic is celebrating three weeks in the community and hosting a free dental day.

The University of Saskatchewan College of Dentistry’s Prince Albert clinic invited media and local dignitaries to a small ceremony to mark the occasion on Friday.

Dr. Amrinderbir Singh, director of inclusive community outreach at the college, oversees the clinic. He told paNOW they hoped to see at least 20 patients over course of the day. Patients were encouraged to pre-book appointments.

Dr. Singh said things have been running smoothly since opening Oct. 5.

“It has been great, patient flow has been steady,” he said. “And we appreciate and welcome all the new patients that have come to the clinic to receive the care.”

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Dean of the College of Dentistry, Dr. Doug Brothwell explained Friday’s free dental day is part of the community clinic’s mandate to make dental care accessible to everyone, particularly people who might normally have difficulty accessing it. He said finances can be a barrier for some.

“So our clinic is working on and perfecting mechanisms where we use a sliding fee scale to determine what patients pay,” he said.

The space also focuses on tailoring care to individuals based on their personal preferences, lifestyle and culture. That could mean offering patients the option of having a silver or gold filling (which last longer) as opposed to a white one (the modern standard).

“We always tell people, come back regularly, but if they prefer not to, our dental care has to help support their choice and allow them to stay healthy as best they can,” he said.

Aside from delivering care to people from Prince Albert and the surrounding area, senior University of Saskatchewan dental students train in the clinic.

A clinical rotation in P.A. will be a graduation requirement for all students in the college going forward, Dr. Brothwell said.

“We are going to show them different ways, best practices on how to care for everyone in society,” he continued, adding that 85 per cent of dentists in Saskatchewan are graduates of the University of Saskatchewan program.

“We are going to improve the education of dental students, we are going to improve the health of people in Prince Albert,” he said. “And we’re going to improve the way dentistry is done in the entire province.”

The clinic is open year-round from Monday to Friday.

To learn more, click here.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom