601 Keefer Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 3V8 604.713.4485

GivingTuesday


The Strathcona Community Dental Clinic is one of only seven full service not-for-profit dental clinics in the province. We are the only non-profit clinic that focuses on children from low-income families. There is a reason that there are so few not-for-profit dental clinics, and that is because dental services are hard to provide in a non-profit environment. The community groups that take on this challenge must fundraise to survive.

Free and subsidized dental treatment requires us to fundraise 20% of our annual budget every year. We need you to donate today. #GivingTuesday

Low-income families fall through the cracks when it comes to dentistry. Whether it is that they cannot find a dentist who will accept the Healthy Kids program without extra billing or they do not have dental coverage and cannot afford dental care. We provide numerous free programs for the families in the poorest community in Canada. #DentalForKids

The Strathcona Community Dental Clinic does a wide variety of activities in addition to providing quality dental treatment. We try and have an impact greater than just how we are able to help our patients. Here are some of the activities that we have done recently:

  • Free or subsidized dental treatment: We provide dental services to low income families in the neighbourhood in three languages, Mandarin, Cantonese and English.
  • Free Dental Screenings: This year we have provided three free dental screenings in two community centres and one in a social housing project. The screenings are performed by one of our dentists to families in the community. Everyone in the family gets a free exam. After the screening we provide each family with an information sheet in English and Chinese, recommending followup on what the dentist was able to detect.
  • Free weekly Fluoride Rinse for Students: We provide weekly fluoride rinse provided to over five hundred school children (with parental permission) at two inner city schools; Seymour and Strathcona Elementary. Individually packaged portions of fluoride are provided to all students whose parents wish them to participate in the program. This program is provided free of charge throughout the school year.
  • Free X-rays and Exams: If a teacher or school administrator refers a child to the clinic due to pain we will (with the parent’s permission) provide a free exam and x-rays to determine the problem.
  • Strathcona Elementary Breakfast program: On four occasions this year we worked with BCIT Nursing students to provide free toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental and nutritional information for all the families that attend the Strathcona Community Centre breakfast program.
  • Britannia Dental Fair: We have collaborated with students from the UBC predental association and the Sauder School of Business students to develop a week of dental information at a few different high schools.
  • Strathcona Community Centre summer day camp: The Strathcona Community Centre has a summer camp for 150 kids every year. We provide an oral health orientation and provide each child with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
  • FNHA Dental Therapists: Our clinic is seen as providing a unique service and is a teaching clinic. All the First Nations Health Authority Dental Therapists in BC who treat First Nation’s people in remote areas of the province came to the clinic to do a one day study club with our patients.
  • VCC Dental Hygiene Students: For the fourteenth year we hosted all the Vancouver Community College 3rd Year Dental Hygiene students for their practicums. Every year we accept up to thirty-six students to work in the clinic to gain experience over a three month period. We are pleased to participate in this program.
  • Volunteers: We do so many activities in the community during the year, we could not survive without our volunteers. We do not however use volunteers for dental treatment.

You can help us by making a donation today.