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Oakville dental students wants everyone to share a smileBy David Leaswelling that could compromise their comfortable with treating people with OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFquality of life.special needs, OHTH has been holding Sigal, whose father is the current special events called Sharing Smiles While many people may not like head of the Mount Sinai Hospital Days.going to the dentist, doing so for most Dental Clinic, said by the time many of The event brings people with spe-requires little more than driving down patients are seen at Mount Sinai they cial needs and University of Toronto the street to the nearest dental office.are in agony from infections, which dental students together for a fun day This, however, is not the case for have developed in their mouths.of activities and dental information many people with special needs, who While Sigal acknowledges some and demonstrations.must often travel long distances to get patients will require care only a special Students from the University of to a special dental clinic, which will dental clinic can provide, she said Western Ontarios dental program meet their needs.local dentists can do more with special participated in a Sharing Smiles Day The issue is one Oakville native needs patients than what they are event last year. Sigal hopes to see Alison Sigal is seeking to rectify.doing right now.Sharing Smiles established at every Sigal, a third-year dental student at You can always do something. dental school across the country.the University of Toronto is also the Some patients, they come in for liter-Sigal said OHTH has been holding OAKVILLE BEAVER FILE PHOTOfounder of Oral Health, Total Health ally three minutes. You have a tooth-Sharing Smiles Days once a year for (OHTH).brush in your hand, you open their the past three years with the events HERE'S HOW:Dental student Adi Patel shows Josh how to correctly brush The non-profit organization is mouth, having a quick peek to make growing in attendance each time.his teeth during Sharing Smiles Day in 2009.dedicated to addressing the lack of sure theres no sign of infection, theres Approximately 400 people attended access to oral healthcare for people no signs of decay, no teeth are frac-last years event.up to six hours, eight hours to come to to change, said Sigal.with special needs in order to bring tured and thats it. Other patients you Sigal said that if these dental stu-Toronto to have a 15-minute check-The wait list for Sinai is now six about awareness and, ultimately, can do a full cleaning on, no problem, dents even help just one special needs up.months to one year, she said.equality of care.she said.person a year, this will have an impact The issue, Sigal said, is that many Many of these patients also live in The number one top unmet At Sinai, the majority of patients and help to reduce the wait times at dentists, who have not treated people group homes where oral healthcare is health need for people with special who come in you take a look, give the Mount Sinai clinic so the medi-with special needs before, say they do not as adequate as it should be. As a needs remains to be dentistry and them a quick cleaning and send them cally compromised people who really not have the training. As a result, they result, these individuals suffer from a nothing about this has changed in the on their way. Its very disheartening need to be seen can be seen.refer people with special needs to spe-greater prevalence of oral disease and past 30 years unfortunately, said when patients like that come and the This years Sharing Smiles Day cial dental clinics like the one at that includes cavities, gum disease Sigal.families tell you theyve called six or event will take place in Oakville at Le Torontos Mount Sinai Hospital.and everything else underneath the Many individuals cannot receive Referring people with special needs mseven dentists and were refused.Dome Banquet Hall on March 26.oon. They really should be seen by a local access to oral healthcare in their In an effort to make the next gen-For more information, visit http://to places where they can get special-dentist three to four times a year to communities and many are travelling ized treatment is not efficient and has makeeration of dental practitioners more ohth.ca. sure there are no infections or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ednesday, February 23, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER www.insideHALTON.com