A vital resource for Montrealers in need is back after a major makeover.
Welcome Hall Mission and McGill University Jim Lund Dental Clinic provides free dental care For those who can’t afford it, including the homeless, seniors and low-income families.
“We have performed hundreds if not thousands of procedures since the clinic opened in 2010,” said Dr. Paul Sweet, a dentist who serves as director of the Jim Lund Dental Clinic.
Now, thanks to an extensive makeover and expansion that took six months, the clinic will be able to double its capacity. The clinic has expanded from three rooms to six and is equipped with state-of-the-art dental equipment.
“The person who is struggling deserves excellence. They don’t deserve our second best,” said Sam Watts, CEO of Welcome Hall Mission.
Many patients can’t pay rent, buy groceries, and take care of their teeth.
Sweet says simply arranging for dental care can help struggling people integrate into society and find jobs.
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“I see the huge difference we can make, not only to someone’s teeth, but also the impact we can have on their confidence, their mood,” he explains, adding that he has seen disbelieving people leave the clinic completely changed. Have seen it coming out.
Sweet Jim works in both private and private practice. Many of the patients he helps are recent immigrants or refugees — and sometimes he writes letters thanking them for the life-changing care.
“It’s people like this that make this kind of work so gratifying and good,” Sweet told Global News.
Dozens of McGill’s third and fourth year dental students help in the clinic.
“I inspect this clinic every day because we have to make sure we are providing good services to our patients,” said Dr. Elham Emami, dean of McGill University’s Department of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences.
Before the renovation the clinic cost approximately $500,000 to run. Watts estimates the price will now double.
The initiative is supported by McGill, the Government of Quebec, and private donors such as Greenshield, who donated over one million dollars for the renovation.
Watts says that with more financial support, the clinic will be able to open its doors more often on weekends when demand for services is higher.
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