Global: Hundreds of Winnipeg refugees given free dental care
Families that are new to Winnipeg were given free access to dental care on Saturday.
The ‘Open Wide’ event was hosted by the Manitoba Dental Association and the University of Manitoba College of Dentistry.
Geared towards newcomers who have landed in Manitoba within the last year, the majority of the patients seen throughout the day were children.
“A lot of cavities, a lot of neglect, a lot of things that had they been living in an area where access to care was possible would’ve been treated, said Dr. Carla Cohn, president of the MDA, while describing what types of oral health issues she was seeing.
Some children who came to the event had never seen a dentist before. Fixing the damage that can result from that lack of oral care can be costly, said Cohn, even with some help available from the federal government.