SAHTU - Chad Fehr, chief executive officer of the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority, said Thursday the authority is "very close to having a contract signed" with a dental care provider and expects to finalize the deal this week, (week of Sept. 14) pending approval from Health Canada.

"This one took a little longer than we had hoped, but it does take a little while to get it signed," Fehr said.

The Sahtu region has been without a dentist since the end of March 2009, during which time residents with urgent needs have had to travel to Inuvik or Yellowknife to see a dentist.