Low-income Albertans living in the Central Zone of Alberta Health Services now have improved access to dental services with the opening of a new public health dental clinic in the city.
AHS, Greenshield and Red Deer Street Connect have partnered to create the AHS Public Health Dental Clinic. The clinic is staffed by dentists and registered dental assistants with two fully equipped dental treatment rooms to serve the area’s high demand for dental needs.
The clinic is for Alberta residents without dental insurance of any kind, individuals with income under low-income cutoff limits, and/or with a direct referral from the hospital emergency department for a specific dental emergency.
This service provides reduced-fee dental treatment services by general practitioner dentists to families in financial need and without access to dental insurance, and includes exams, X-rays, fluoride treatment, sealants, fillings, front tooth root canals, extractions, with priority to emergency based treatments.
The clinic has supported more than 300 appointments since it began operating in June.
Individuals without dental insurance, or who are low income, can often be more vulnerable to poor oral health outcomes. This can often lead to individuals visiting hospital emergency departments instead of dental clinics for their oral health issues and emergencies.
Clients will be referred to the clinic through services like Street Connect, the Primary Care Network Street Clinic, Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre and other services, such as the opioid dependency program. The clinic will provide basic care to patients, responding to common dental concerns such as cavities, toothaches and the need for extractions.
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