A dental clinic in Liberty Village is offering free dental services to the local community.
Edition Dental clinic is located on Ordnance Street, and opened up nearly a month ago.
“We are a brand-new office, and it is our way of giving back to the community,” said Sandy Li, administrative assistant at Edition Dental.
The free service is an hour-long appointment, and clients will have 30 minutes of scaling and polishing along with free x-rays and a free dental assessment from a dentist, Li said. The appointment does not include treatment after the assessment.
‘No need to miss work or school’
The Toronto-owned dentist clinic is open seven days a week, Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Their goal is to provide their customers with as much flexibility as they want, so they can “feel comfort in knowing you do not need to miss work or school,” their website says.
“You can opt out of the x-rays, but I opted in cause those are the ones that are usually $1 million at the dentist,” said Liv Mcilkenny, resident in Liberty Village, who tried the free service.
According to Canada Life, a dental cleaning can range from $150 to $200, and it is suggested to get a cleaning every six months.
X-rays range from $120-$300. The average cost of a bitewing X-ray is usually $40. The average cost of a periodical X-ray is around the same, according to a study made by New Choice Health.
“This is great for people with no benefits in the city, seriously run, don’t walk!” said Mcilkenny.
Avoiding dental services due to cost
More than one in three Canadians do not have dental insurance, and they admit to avoiding going to the dentist because of the cost they will need to pay, according to a study released in November by Statistics Canada,
Higher numbers of recent immigrants (33 per cent), non-permanent residents (32 per cent), and established immigrants (26 per cent) reported having avoided dental visits due to cost, compared with Canadian-born people (22 per cent), StatCan said.
Other options offered for those without coverage would be to check out dental programs at universities and colleges such as the Toronto College of Dental Hygiene and Auxiliaries and the Canadian Academy of Dental Health.
This allows dental students to gain real-life experience by practicing regular services like dental cleaning, at a lower price to the patient.
The free dental services offered by Edition Dental is a promotional offer that will end in February 2024. Clients can book through their website, editiondental.com, or call them to book.
“I got my little dentist loop bag and was honestly really happy with the overall experience,” Mcilkenny said she recommends Edition Dental’s free service.