As a complaint of infection exposure in the Beaufort Delta is investigated, the GNWT says residents in the region must travel elsewhere for dental services.
Last week, the territory’s chief public health officer told residents in several Beaufort Delta communities that they may have undergone dental procedures between March and April during which equipment was not properly cleaned, disinfected and sterilized.
Dr Kami Kandola encouraged people affected to get tested for Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B and Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV.
In a fresh notice on Wednesday, the Department of Health and Social Services answered a range of questions related to that complaint. The department also clarified the current status of dental services in the Beaufort Delta and elsewhere in the NWT.
The department said there is currently no dental service provider in the region, so residents will have to travel to access those services “where available.”
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For many people, that means dental clinics in Yellowknife, but the department said the increased need to travel to access dental services is causing hotel and flight capacity issues.
“We are working to find some alternative routes to access dental services and ease the capacity issues as there are also impacts on flight and hotel availability for medical purposes,” the notice stated.
Whether travel to access dental services will be covered by insurance depends on a person’s insurance provider.
Under the federal non-insured health benefits program, for example, travel requests to access dental services are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. All approved travel is currently directed to Yellowknife.
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The department encouraged people to check with their insurance provider about benefits.
Many NWT communities do not have a permanent dental clinic.
According to the department, residents in 23 communities across the NWT have “historically” accessed dental services from visiting dental teams who are funded through non-insured health benefits.
Residents not covered by that program have had to access services at dental clinics in other communities.
