A free mobile dental hygiene clinic is launching in Greater Victoria Sunday (Aug. 22) for low-income BIPOC women and their children.
The project is a collaboration between Victoria’s Support Network for Indigenous Women and Women of Colour, Khalsa Aid Canada and mobile dental clinic Wheely Clean, in an effort to provide necessary health care to those unable to access it.
More than six million Canadians, or 17 per cent, report avoiding dental care due to cost, according to a 2012 study out of the University of Toronto. With racialized women earning 59 cents on the dollar compared to non-racialized men and 87 cents on the dollar compared to non-racialized women – according to Statistics Canada – they are among the groups least likely to have leftover income for dental care. People with lower incomes are also the least likely to have dental insurance, according to the Canadian Health Measures Survey.
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In an effort to increase accessibility, the support network’s mobile clinic will be opening once a month on Sunday to provide free dental hygiene check-ups and cleanings. To qualify, Greater Victoria residents must be racialized women, two-spirited people, or their minors, and must make less than the low income cut-off. The cut-off ranges between $25,921 for a one-person household to $68,598 for a seven-person one.
To secure an appointment, residents must register online at sniwwoc.ca. Interested people are also invited to attend the launch of the clinic at 2721 Graham St. Aug. 22 from 2 to 3 p.m.
READ ALSO: Camosun College dental clinic keeps oral care affordable
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