WATCH: Two Greater Victoria-area dentists spent the day helping those who struggle to afford dental care. For the fifth year running, Otter Point Dental in Sooke and Eagle Creek Village Dental in Victoria joined forces to host free dental day. As Luisa Alvarez reports, they’re calling on others in their profession to follow suit.
The lineup was around the building as people waited hours, with some even lining up the night before, for free dental care on Monday. The group was waiting for an initiative going on its fifth year by Eagle Creek Village Dental in Victoria and Otter Point Dental in Sooke.
For the day, one extraction, filling or cleaning per adult or child was provided free of charge.
“When folks come in and they want to have an overall check, we can then prioritize what they need done and if there isn’t any decay or any a toothache, then a great dental cleaning is a perfect way to keep the teeth healthy, preventative care is the most important thing of all,” said Tera Groff, a dentist with Otter Point Dental.
But as hard as they tried, Groff said they were not able to see everyone who came, which is why they’re calling on other dentists to follow suit.
“It’s absolutely nothing off anybody’s back to give back to your community for a day. We are busy all year long, there is a lot of work for every dentist out there to give back one day. If more dentists can do that in our community between here and Colwood and Langford, we could get a lot of people the help that they need all year round,” said Groff.
It’s a way to give back to the community not just with their service but also their time every associate, hygienist, and receptionist volunteered their day for the cause.
Mick Rhodes lined up since 7:30 a.m. in the morning and was able to get a tooth extraction. He said he’s thankful for the service that would have otherwise cost him a lot.
“I think if all businesses had that attitude we would be in a much better frame of mind and a much better world,” said Rhodes.
Luisa Alvarez
