Our Dental Therapy Program is focussed on patient education and oral health. We acknowledge and recognize that the health of the mouth and the body are integrally linked with one another, so it is important to visit the dental team on a regular basis to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Over the past year, we have been progressing both proactively by seeing as many community members as possible, and by adapting to changes within staffing. In 2015, we welcomed aboard two Registered Dental Therapists (RDTs) to our communities: Amy Settee in Red Earth Cree Nation and Curtis Joyal in Shoal Lake Cree Nation. They complement our current RDTs: Adelaide McKenzie – Cumberland House Cree Nation and Melanie Martell – Hatchet Lake Denesuline Nation. Since they have joined our team, they have been kept busy, performing procedures, providing oral health education to the children, and tending to adult patients on an emergency basis.
Dr. David Climenhaga, DMD, is the supervising dentist. He travels to the communities of Cumberland House Cree Nation, Hatchet Lake Denesuline Nation, Red Earth Cree Nation and Shoal Lake Cree Nation to provide dental treatments not only to patients who require treatments but also to any community member who books an appointment (or walks in). In addition to our doctor and RDTs, we receive support from our Dental Aides, who are responsible for contacting patients, booking them, and filing charts. Currently, each of our communities has a dental aide and we welcome you to contact them to schedule an appointment. They are Isabel Whitehead (Red Earth Cree Nation), Kayla Carriere (Cumberland House Cree Nation), Brenda Benonie (Hatchet Lake Denesuline Nation), and Tasha Bear (Shoal Lake Cree Nation).
Through continued education and training, Dr. Climenhaga and the rest of our Dental Therapy team will continue to provide PAGC communities with dental services to the best of their ability.