Red Deer dental clinic provides services to low-income, uninsured Albertans

A new dental clinic has opened in Red Deer to provide services to uninsured, low-income Albertans.

The AHS Public Health Dental Clinic is a partnership between Alberta Health Services, not-for-profit health and benefits company GreenShield, and Red Deer Street Connect.

GreenShield provided a $1.5 million grant for the facility.

"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," AHS said in a news release. "The clinic will provide basic care to patients, responding to common dental concerns such as cavities, toothaches and the need for extractions."

"The disparities in access to oral healthcare that persist, particularly among vulnerable populations, are concerning." said GreenShield president and CEO Zahid Salman. "As a not-for-profit health and benefits company, GreenShield is committed to improving health outcomes for Canadians as part of our social mission of ‘better health for all.'"

Alberta residents who don't have dental insurance of any kind, people with income under low-income cutoff limits, and those with a direct referral from the hospital emergency department for a dental emergency will be eligible for services at one of the two fully equipped treatment rooms.

Dentists and registered hygienists have facilitated more than 300 appointments since the clinic opened in June.