By Angela Hill

Dental school closes doors for the last time

Jun 29, 2011 | 6:07 AM

It was the mark of the end at the National School of Dental Therapy on Tuesday, as the sign came off the building and belongings were being packed up.

“As far as today goes it’s just part of the process. It’s been so difficult for the past two years,” Sheila Ahenakew, the assistant director of the school.

In 2009, the federal government announced it would cut the school’s funding after two years. That deadline happens on Thursday. The program trained dental therapists and offered free oral care to thousands of clients over the years.

“It’s just sad that this place is closing, it’s served many, many people, not only Aboriginal people, (but) low-income people and people who just could not afford dental services and (it) is a total disgrace in my mind,” said Albertine Gosselin, executive assistant at the school since 1995.

“It creates for me anger and frustration because I believe the government is turning the wheel backwards,”
Gosselin, like many of the other staff, received a termination notice.

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“It really breaks your heart to see staff having to move on to whatever paths they may take. Today, makes it worse, for me, I feel like I’m in a funeral realm just waiting for the burial to happen … it’s sad.”

Staff tried to pursue all avenues to get government support and funding, said Ahenakew, but as the date grew closer they were telling students that they couldn’t come to the school and were losing staff because there was no guaranteed future.

Particularly frustrating is the increase use of dental therapy programs across the United States and around the world, she said.

“I’m sure it will be resurrected in the future I don’t know how it could not be because it’s the move of the future around the world — 55 countries have dental therapy and Canada is closing its only dental therapy, which is tragic and sad.”

Dental therapists, who take care of basic dental needs and teach oral health, are being recognized as so important for rural and remote communities, Ahenakew said.

While it was difficult to see the sign come down, there have been many difficult moments before that, she said.

They are in the process of packing up the 18,000 patient files accumulated over the nearly 30-year lifespan of the school.

The 3,000 annual active file are being transferred to the First Nations University — clients will be able to call 765-3333 and request the file be forwarded or they can come and pick it up.

Even while they are cleaning up and shutting down, the dental equipment will stay behind because there is still a last minute effort to get the doors to stay open.

“The FSIN is trying to spearhead a movement and they are working with the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology, who is interested in administering this program,” Ahenakew said.

See related: Dental Therapy bracing for closure

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