For the sixth year in a row Dr. Ross Crapo’s Saanich dental clinic is offering Dentistry From the Heart, a free day of emergency dental care for up to 100 people in need.
“It’s a compassionate service for people in pain who can’t afford dental work,” says Crapo.
Life is complicated enough without having to face it with chronic tooth pain, he added.
This year five dentists will provide a full day’s worth of their time.
“If someone lost a filling or has a tooth that’s not saveable we can help with that, we’ll deal with as much as we can.”
In the past five years, the event has helped about 275 people from across Greater Victoria with more than $140,000 in free dental care.
“We can’t answer most of the problems people might have in their life but we can help them focus on life without dental pain,” Crapo said. “We see situations where folks have got more life than they have money left.”
Out-of-pocket health-care expenses for low-income Canadians rose by 63 per cent from 1997 to 2009 after being adjusted for inflation.
To book an appointment for Saturday morning call ahead at 250-383-3368.
Up to another 50 people who resister on a first-come first-serve basis can be seen in the afternoon. Registration for walk-ups starts at 8:45 a.m.
Dentistry from the Heart runs Saturday, Sept. 26 from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 4400 Chatterton Way, Suite 206 in Saanich.