Gift from the Heart provides free dental care at Belleville HART Hub

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People of low income received free dental care on Friday through a new partnership between two Belleville organizations.

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Volunteers of Gift from the Heart, a charity providing free dental care to those in need, brought their mobile clinic on Friday to The Bridge Integrated Care Hub on South Church Street. Though the organizations have clients in common, it was the first time Gift from the Heart had offered care at The Bridge.

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Bev Woods, who in 2007 founded Gift from the Heart and is now its outgoing executive director, said it’s part of the charity’s ongoing effort to “get to the people that couldn’t get to us.”

“Any treatment that you could have done at a traditional dental office, we can do from here,” she said before the work began.

First in line was Robert, a Belleville senior citizen who was there to have his seven remaining lower teeth removed. He said he’s needed that care for “quite a few years.”

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“I’m on ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program benefits) and Canada Pension, so I can’t afford a dentist,” he said, “and this one here is free of charge … which I do appreciate.

“The application process is quite simple, and they help out with it.

“It’s actually new to me … having it done for free, versus maybe paying out of pocket so much money – money I don’t have.”

Gift from the Heart’s deputy executive director Kareen McKinnon, who at year’s end will succeed Woods as executive director, said volunteers would continue to work with Robert to get an appointment with a denturist.

Dr. Ed Segura of Peterborough’s Kawartha Clinic volunteered to provide Friday’s care. Joining him were Woods and Segura’s son, Aiden, who is studying in a pre-dental program and working toward a master’s degree in global health.

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“We try to get out as much as we can,” said Dr. Segura, a former Canadian Armed Forces dental officer in Nova Scotia. He said he and Aiden have done similar work in the Caribbean and Gift from the Heart’s Trenton clinic.

“It’s more rewarding than challenging,” he said. He added the work can be emotional.

“We’ve been very fortunate in our lives and we need to give back to those who are less fortunate or don’t have the means to get the care they need,” Segura said.

“This is our first time in the mobile clinic and it’s really exciting,” he said. “This is really nice – very well-equipped.”

The Bridge hub serves both unhoused and housed people.

Next in line for treatment was Ruth, a Belleville resident who said she has an apartment but cannot afford dental work. She, too, would require tooth extractions. Both she and Robert declined to provide their surnames to protect their privacy.

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“I’ve had problems with the system because I didn’t qualify for private insurance, and I had problems getting a dentist for years, so this is long overdue,” Ruth said.

“If you’re trying to get back on your feel and you don’t have a healthy smile, it has an effect when you’re trying to get a job.

“People judge you. If you’re sick because of chronic tooth pain, it affects your overall demeanour, behaviour, attitude,” she said from the dental chair as Segura nodded emphatically.

“People in chronic pain – they’re more apt to self-medicate,” she said.

Ruth, who had visited The Bridge previously, said many of the hub’s clients haven’t filed their taxes, meaning they are ineligible for the Canadian Dental Care Plan.

“A lot of these people have infections … because their teeth are broken and cause a lot of pain. That should be covered under OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan).”

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The Bridge is part of the area’s Homelessness and Addictions Recovery Treatment Hub project. Funded fully by Ontario’s health ministry, the HART project also includes mobile outreach teams working across Hastings and Prince Edward Counties and a plan to create supportive transitional housing.

The Bridge’s director, Ashley Vader, said the day was an example of another way in which the facility’s team is forming “really awesome partnerships” with other agencies to meet local needs.

“We understand that your teeth are really a connection to the rest of your body’s overall health,” Vader told reporters. She said the planning had gone “flawlessly.”

Vader said hub staff see clients frequently who have broken or decaying teeth in need of care, or who are losing teeth because of a lack of care.

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“If this is something that we can keep going on a regular basis, then we are getting ahead, being really proactive with our guests’ health.”

She said the hub serves mostly people who are homeless on the streets, have temporary emergency shelter, or are in unstable housing situations. They often have “a lot of trauma associated with systems,” Vader said, and Gift from the Heart offers a chance to ease them back into the dental care system.

“We’re always looking for extra support in those niche ways that we might be missing,” Vader said. She said the team needs a nurse practitioner and has also brought in other professionals to help clients obtain identification or housing. Those with services to offer are welcome to propose partnerships, she added.

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Gift from the Heart also operates a clinic at 20 Joseph St. in Trenton. Founder Bev Woods said it sees patients three to four days per week and there is an “incredible need” for care.

The new federal dental program is “only covering what fees were in 2019,” she said, and because fees have since increased, many people in the program still cannot care. Other clinics are therefore referring patients to Gift’s clinic, she said.

Gift from the Heart has many sponsors and has received major support from the Parrott Foundation. Woods said there is, however, a need for ongoing financial support.

“We need the community to buy into what we’re doing to help our communities,” Woods said.

She said oral health is as important as mental health and food security.

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Deputy executive director Kareen McKinnon estimated 15 to 20 people would be seen on Friday.

She said the charity’s team estimates there are 28,000 people in the area in need of dental care. Regular patients include single parents and people with cancer who have spent much of their money on treating the disease.

Trenton Memorial Hospital staff are now referring patients to the charity, McKinnon said. She said it’s hoped Gift can reduce strain on emergency departments.

To receive care, send an email message to [email protected]. For more information, visit www.giftfromtheheart.ca. For details on The Bridge, visit thebridgehub.ca.

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