Kent Driscoll
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Sep 26/05) - Dental flights arriving at the Iqaluit airport without someone to greet the patients are a problem, but Bernie Blais, deputy minister of health and social services, sees waiting lists as the bigger challenge.

It may not be pretty, but this is dental surgery. Jorgen Anablak of Kugluktuk was in Iqaluit recently for dental surgery and this is what he looked like after his procedure. In the past year, waiting lists have dropped from three years to three months in Nunavut. - photo courtesy of Helen Himiak

In 2004-05, there were 747 people - mostly children - on the waiting list for dental surgery. Now, the number has been reduced to 261, and they are scheduled to be taken care of by March 2006.

Dental surgery in the Kitikmeot region was the farthest behind. The waiting list had 305 names, but 201 of them will be cleared up by the end of the year, the remaining 104 by March 2006.

He said that the previous waiting time could be three years long, but the new waiting time - two to three months - puts Nunavut in the lead Canada-wide.

"It (flying to Iqaluit) may be an inconvenience, but they are getting care faster," said Blais.

A flight from Cambridge Bay and another from Kugluktuk were not met by an escort at the airport in Iqaluit, causing confusion for the patients and escorts.

All future dental flights will be met at the airport by an escort. "Our staff are more sensitive to that now. It is not acceptable," said Blais.

Helen Himiak was on the Kugluktuk flight. She hopes that promise comes true, especially for those flying to Iqaluit for the first time.

"If a person doesn't have money for cab fare, how are they supposed to get to the hotel?" she asked.

Nancy Angulalik is less hopeful. She was on the flight from Cambridge Bay to Iqaluit at the end of July.

"It's happened twice. I don't think they are willing to help," she said.

A charter flight to Iqaluit - with 15 patients and 15 escorts - costs $87,740. Three more charters are expected this year, two scheduled to fly to Iqaluit and one to Yellowknife.

"Holy cow," said Angulalik when she heard how much a single flight costs.

Himiak was also shocked. "Wouldn't it be cheaper to fly us to Yellowknife?"

These flights are being paid for by Health Canada. The department of health and social services received $600,000 to help clear up the backlog in 2004, and another $700,000 for 2005.

Health and social services books surgery time at Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife twice a year, but the eventual goal is to have all dental surgery done in Nunavut.

Would these parents take their child to Iqaluit for dental care?

For Angulalik, the answer is a firm no. "If I have to go again, I'm going to ask where they are sending me. If it is Iqaluit, I'm not going."

Himiak doesn't like the idea either, but would deal with it for the good of her children. "It is too far, but for my child's health, I'd do it, but I wouldn't like it."

There are no dental surgeons in Nunavut. They are brought in from southern hospitals. You can find three dentists in Iqaluit, and dental services for communities are handled by travelling dentists from the south.

The eventual goal is to train Nunavut residents to become dentists.

"We've made a serious attempt to recruit dentists for each region. (Recruiting Inuit dentists) is a part of a master plan for Inuit health professionals," said Blais.

The two new health centres - in Cambridge Bay and Rankin Inlet - are not equipped for dental surgery, but can be used for conscious sedation. In that method, patients are sedated enough to complete the surgery, without the need for putting the patient completely under.

"Sixty per cent of our cases in the future will be done that way, after we get caught up to the waiting list. That leaves 25 to 20 per cent that need the operating room, and those will be flown to Iqaluit," said Blais.

Prevention is the best cure, and health and social services has been trying to fight tooth decay at the source.

Mouthwash with fluoride has been introduced to strengthen teeth, and children are having a protective layer - fluoride varnish - attached to their teeth.

The entire program is called "Smiles for Kids" and one step could dramatically reduce cases of dental surgery.

Parents can now trade in their baby bottles for sipping cups, with snap-on lids. The parents don't have to worry about spills and the kids won't have their teeth hurt by using a bottle.

"Results have shown that the cups can reduce dental surgery by 30 per cent," said Blais.