Have teeth issues, will travel.

It鈥檚 not officially the motto of the Burnaby-based The Travelling Hygienist, but it鈥檚 鈥� ahem 鈥� at the root of it.

The Travelling Hygienist is the brainchild of Jackie Tong, 2018 UBC dental sciences graduate. During her schooling, Tong volunteered with many different groups and organizations that exposed her to vulnerable populations in both rural and urban settings.

鈥淚 saw a lot of young students who couldn鈥檛 see a dentist because they were poor,鈥� said Tong, who became passionate about improving oral health care access for all marginalized communities.

Tong and her team bring high standards and patient-centred oral health care to wherever you, the would-be patient, are.

鈥淲e believe our patients deserves the best, and we make an effort to make sure you always feel welcome and at ease,鈥� said Tong.

She and her team hit the road at least once a month, which includes visits to the North Okanagan and Shuswap, and they鈥檒l see anywhere from two to eight patients per day in the comfort of their own home. The hygienists bring in portable equipment and can adapt to the patient鈥檚 level of comfort.

鈥淚f you鈥檇 like to lay on your couch during your treatment, you can,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f you鈥檇 prefer to be in a dental chair, we can bring that but we just require a space for it to be in.

鈥淗opefully by next year, we鈥檒l have a special van outfitted with dental equipment.鈥�

All equipment is cleaned and sterilized prior to travel, and Tong and team sanitize the areas they work in before and after treatments with their own disinfectants.

For new patients, you can book an appointment on The Travelling Hygienist (thetravellinghygienist.com), and the organization will reach out to the patients about intake forms to determine a patient鈥檚 medical and dental history. A new patient procedure, said Tong, will usually take about 90 minutes, but could be longer for major oral health issues.

鈥淲e proceed with an examination, x-rays (if they haven鈥檛 been updated or transferred from within the last year), scaling, polish, and fluoride application,鈥� said Tong. 鈥淚f any other treatment is needed, another appointment will be made.鈥�

The Travelling Hygienist offers free health consultations. If you are not sure if the services are right for you, you can set up an online video chat to discuss questions and concerns.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been well received,鈥� said Tong of her operation. 鈥淯sually new patients come via word of mouth and so far, it鈥檚 been really great. And I鈥檓 really falling in love with the Interior.鈥�

roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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