Dentists go mobile to help community

A flooded house isn’t an excuse to put your health in the back seat.

Luckily for High River residents, a visit to the dentist has become much easier.

The Alberta Dental Association and College partnered with High River’s six dentists to start offering services out of a mobile clinic.

“It’s a little bit squishy, but it’s doable,” said Vicki McMullen, a High River dentist co-ordinating the program.

The mobile clinic is actually a motorhome, fitted with three fullyfunctioning dental chairs and X-ray units.

McMullen said the dentists operating out of the mobile unit each have his or her own allotted time slots, splitting the schedule among the four separate dental offices taking part.

Some patients are from surrounding areas, like Nanton or Blackie, but many are from High River.

“They’re wanting to start to get back to normal,” said McMullen, who added part of that process is going forward with scheduled appointments.

The mobile clinic isn’t in High River yet, though. For now, it’s parked in Okotoks, where power, plumbing and water are readily available.

McMullen isn’t guaranteeing a timeline on when she’ll be back in her own office, but said she’s hoping it will be sometime early this fall.

For now, she’s just happy she can continue making people smile beautifully.

“People are very appreciative,” she said.

“It’s been a really positive response so far.”