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By paNOW Staff

DENTAL THERAPY

Dental therapy program off and running in P.A. as patients are now welcome

Jan 9, 2024 | 2:00 PM

The next generation of dental therapists are now being trained in Prince Albert which will provide more necessary services to rural and remote communities.

The new dental therapy program started in the fall of 2023 with students training through the University of Saskatchewan College of Dentistry in P.A.

Now, those students are looking for patients seeking dental work.

Speaking to paNOW, Dr. Gerry Uswak with the College of Dentistry explained why having this program in the first place is important.

“There have not been dental therapists graduating for over a decade and what that has led to overtime is a shortage in rural and remote communities both in Saskatchewan and across all the provinces and territories,” he said. “The dental therapy program was started again because we are starting to see problems across the country in the most remote areas where people need care.”

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Dental therapists carry out a variety of procedures including screening exams, X-rays, and tooth extractions.

In Saskatchewan, dental therapists will work in private practices but also on federal lands and work directly with First Nations and Health Canada.

Uswak noted the launch of the program is convenient given the federal government’s dental plan started last year. However, he noted that having coverage is good but if there are no positions, it’s pointless.

“This is to repopulate vacant positions across the province and across the country,” he said.

When it comes to patients needed for second-year students, Uswak said everyone is welcome to apply, adding that financially it helps those who have struggled to pay for dental care.

“We need those folks who want to make their dental dollars go further because the fee guide at the college, at the clinic is less than what is charged out in the community by about 40 per cent. Kids have a flat rate of $25 an appointment, regardless of what’s being done,” he said. “So it’s an affordable way to get dental care and you get high-quality dental care under the supervision of a licensed professional and you’re helping to build the next generation of dental therapists for practice in Saskatchewan and across the country.”

To find out more about the dental therapy program, you can visit the University of Saskatchewan’s website.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com