West Kootenay Emergency Dental Clinic
Donation protected
We are a group of local dentists working to help the non-profit West Kootenay Community TEETH Clinic Society set up a temporary Emergency Dental Clinic to serve our community.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all dental offices have been temporarily closed as most dental procedures cannot be handled in a regular setting; this is due to the aerosols created by dental equipment during treatment that can increase risk of spread of the virus. As such, dentists are limited to managing arising dental issues by prescribing medications and advising patients over the phone. This is not sustainable over time, and more of these problems will likely end up in hospital emergency rooms. A negative pressure room and appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are necessary to do these types of treatment in a safe manner for patients and dental health care providers; at this time, there are no local dental clinics outfitted for this unprecedented situation.
Thankfully, the West Kootenay Community TEETH Clinic Society has generously offered to open their clinic in Nelson as an emergency treatment center for our entire community! This Society is a not-for-profit program that regularly offers high quality dental care for low income community members and their families, however, the existing clinic will require modifications for this endeavour. A negative pressure room needs to be created out of one of the dental operatories, and all the necessary preparations need to be made for the space to be safe for the volunteer dentists, staff and all of the patients in need. This will get people out of pain and, most importantly, keep them out of our emergency rooms; this is crucial to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and allow for more availability of space and hospital staff to deal with the pandemic.
For the benefit of our community, we need to act quickly and get this set up as soon as possible. Any amount donated to help make this a reality would be greatly appreciated! Barry Nelson (Treasurer of the West Kootenay TEETH Clinic Society) will be collecting funds on behalf of the clinic. This is urgent; please help if you can!
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all dental offices have been temporarily closed as most dental procedures cannot be handled in a regular setting; this is due to the aerosols created by dental equipment during treatment that can increase risk of spread of the virus. As such, dentists are limited to managing arising dental issues by prescribing medications and advising patients over the phone. This is not sustainable over time, and more of these problems will likely end up in hospital emergency rooms. A negative pressure room and appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are necessary to do these types of treatment in a safe manner for patients and dental health care providers; at this time, there are no local dental clinics outfitted for this unprecedented situation.
Thankfully, the West Kootenay Community TEETH Clinic Society has generously offered to open their clinic in Nelson as an emergency treatment center for our entire community! This Society is a not-for-profit program that regularly offers high quality dental care for low income community members and their families, however, the existing clinic will require modifications for this endeavour. A negative pressure room needs to be created out of one of the dental operatories, and all the necessary preparations need to be made for the space to be safe for the volunteer dentists, staff and all of the patients in need. This will get people out of pain and, most importantly, keep them out of our emergency rooms; this is crucial to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and allow for more availability of space and hospital staff to deal with the pandemic.
For the benefit of our community, we need to act quickly and get this set up as soon as possible. Any amount donated to help make this a reality would be greatly appreciated! Barry Nelson (Treasurer of the West Kootenay TEETH Clinic Society) will be collecting funds on behalf of the clinic. This is urgent; please help if you can!
Co-organizers (2)
Jennifer Parrott
Organizer
Nelson, BC
Barry Nelson
Beneficiary
Scott Pentecost
Co-organizer