A unique program at the University of Saskatchewan is proving beneficial for those who live in rural and remote locations.

Dr. Walter Yim says the Dental Therapy program is an intense two-year degree program that was established in 2023 to assist those facing barriers to oral care such as time, distance, and money.

“We will see, in our clinic, patients that travel five hours, three hours, to come to a dental practice and get checkups or care. Everybody tries to do as much as they can in that appointment, but often, they have to come back.”

He adds that cavity rates in rural and remote Saskatchewan are disproportionately high compared with the rest of the province, especially amongst children.

Yim says residents in these remote communities, such as Onion Lake, Canoe Lake, and Buffalo Narrows, are ecstatic to receive care right in their home community.

“Our therapist in Onion Lake is treating kids within the school. She’s doing checkups, fillings, and routine care for them, so she’s responsible for several hundred children and their oral care. Before that, they really didn’t have that kind of care in the schools, so you can imagine the relief of the parents to have oral healthcare directly in the school.”

In addition to Saskatoon, the program is also offered in Prince Albert, La Ronge, and Regina. Yim says the idea is to recruit students from those communities to complete the course, and then hopefully continue to provide those services in their hometown.

“We teach hybrid live and online, and there are six to seven students on each campus. The idea is they would learn where they live and then live where they learn.”

Yim says there are hopes of expanding the program if adequate funding can be secured.