SMITHS FALLS - On Feb. 14, 2009, 23
independent dental hygiene clinics in Ontario
gave their time to put a smile on the face of a complete stranger.
This one-day event, called A
Gift From the Heart, provided an opportunity for hygienists to give back to their
communities by providing no-cost dental hygiene care.
And now, they’re doing it
again on Feb. 13.
During the weeks leading up
to the event last year, staff answered an overwhelming number of phone calls
and requests from Ontarians needing the free service.
Unfortunately hundreds of
people had to be turned away.
This has only inspired these
health professionals to make the A Gift From the Heart an annual event, and to
make it bigger and better each year.
Owners of Smiles Sensations
Independent Dental Hygiene Clinic in Smiths
Falls, Lori Lawrence and
Jo-Anne Keays, will be participating again this year.
“The more people in our
communities we can reach out to and help, the more we feel that we can make a
difference,” says Lawrence.
“This year, I am proud to say that we have 48 clinics participating across Ontario, with over 250
dedicated oral health professionals helping out.”
HELPING OUT
Independent dental hygienists in Ontario
are spearheading this campaign in order to provide free oral health assessments
and cleanings to working families who are financially unable to receive dental
hygiene services and have no dental insurance.
Prior to the changes in
provincial legislation in September 2007, dental hygienists were often employed
by dentists in private dental offices.
However, a growing number of
self-initiating dental hygienists are choosing careers in independent dental
hygiene practices, including mobile services for rural communities and
long-term care facilities. These changes to the Dental Hygiene Act have
increased the public’s access to affordable preventive oral care services by
the practitioner of their choice.
Lawrence says dental hygienists are very
passionate people who are always prepared to give back to their community
whenever they are called upon.
A Gift From the Heart was an
idea conceived by one dental hygienist, and has now spread like wildfire, province-wide.
Participating dental hygienists
are doing what they do best: dental hygiene care, such as scaling, polishing,
fluoride treatments, oral cancer screenings, microscope demonstrations,
brushing and flossing.
“Most importantly, we are
educating about the importance of oral health and your overall health,” says Lawrence.
Keays says there is a
lot of work involved in preparing for such an event.
“In the end, it’s all about changing our
community one smile at a time,” she says.
If you live in the area and
are interested, you can call the Smiles Sensations office at 613-205-0555 or
register online at www.smilesensations.ca.
If you
know someone who does not live locally and who would like to take advantage of
this event, they can check the Gift from the Heart website, at www.giftfromtheheart.ca
to find a participating dental hygienist in their area.