A Vernon independent dental hygiene clinic is offering free service to those who served their country.
MidWest Dental Hygiene is holding its third annual Nominate a Veteran campaign, which will award an anonymous veteran with two hours of free chair time for preventative dental care.
MidWest’s Dayna Nipkow started the campaign in 2018 with the belief that Canadian society can, and should, do more for those who defended the country’s rights and freedoms when it comes to providing basic dental care.
“In my career in the dental field (2001- present) I have come to understand that veterans, upon discharge from the Canadian Forces, often have limited or no access to dental services with the benefits available to them from Veteran Affairs,” says Nipkow.
“I in no way fault Veterans Affairs, as there are many needs that they must address and oral health seems to slip through the proverbial cracks,” she added. “I feel this is unjust considering the service they have provided to us, their fellow Canadians.”
The public can nominate a veteran to receive care that falls within the dental hygiene scope of practice, which could include a soft tissue exam, scaling or root planing, x-rays, polishing and other oral care treatments.
The deadline for nominations is Thursday, Nov. 19. Ballots can be submitted online at www.nominateaveteran.ca, or in ballot boxes at the following Vernon locations:
- Butcher Boys Grocery Store
- Lakeview Market (32nd Ave. and 15th St.)
- Fisher’s Home Hardware
- Staples
- Wayside Press
- Spitfire Grill (at the Army-Navy Airforce Club Unit #5)
- Eagles Hall
- MidWest Dental Hygiene (located in the Vernon Dental Centre)
- Mountain High Motor Company
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