From 2017-2019 the Fundy Dental Community Project operated as a pilot project to determine the needs of the community, and to develop the program based on those needs. The pilot project’s overwhelming success confirmed the high demand for dental treatment for the low-income and under-served populations, and has created the need for us to expand our program and establish our own clinic space.

THE NEED FOR A DESIGNATED CLINIC:

It is an unfortunate reality that many people are unable to afford basic dental treatment due to limited income and lack of dental insurance. Currently, there are no other organizations doing similar work in our region regarding providing access to dental treatment for low-income individuals. This results in patients applying from further areas and travelling longer distances for multiple appointments, just to be able to be treated in the FDCP program. As positive word of our program spreads, the number of applicants continues to surpass our current capacity to accept into the program in our current host-clinic arrangement with The Fundy Dental Centre. (To-date and in our current arrangement, we are able to treat FDCP patients only as Fundy Dental Centre scheduling permits.)

THE GOAL OF THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN:

The FDCA’s goal for the Building Healthy Smiles | FDCP Capital Campaign is to open a designated Fundy Dental Community Project dental clinic space. We are currently converting an empty unit of the Fundy Dental Centre into a designated permanent clinic space for the Fundy Dental Community Project. This requires an outfitting of the space: construction costs, dental equipment, dental supplies, office furniture, and an elevator installation to make the clinic fully accessible. (Fundy Dental Centre is our Sponsor Partner, who to-date, has donated their clinic space and resources to operate the FDCP program during its pilot phase.)

This space will enable more patients to be accepted into the program for treatment, increase the types of services that can be provided, expand the hours of operation of the program, and allow for additional opportunities for more dental professionals and Dalhousie University dental students to be involved.