Duane Hicks
At a time when preventive oral health care is being recognized as more important than ever, Dawn Gustafson has opened the doors of her own independent dental hygiene practice, “LifetimeSmiles,” here in Fort Frances.
One of only a few dental hygienists in the region with their own practices, and the only one in Rainy River District, Gustafson held a grand-opening Friday at 715 Nelson St., which also is her beautiful riverfront home.
And she wants area residents to know her practice is open and ready to meet their preventive oral health care needs.
“After 20 years working as a dental hygienist in dental offices, I made a decision to stay home and focus on my family, but ended up filling in as a dental hygienist for maternity leaves around Northwestern Ontario,” Gustafson recalled when asked about why she decided to open her own practice.
“I realized how much I enjoyed my work, and was looking for other employment options when the change in legislation allowing dental hygienists to work independently passed.
“I felt that I had the experience to open my own practice and that preventive oral health care is a welcome service in the community,” she added.
“I am passionate about dental hygiene, especially periodontal or ‘deep’ scaling, and feel professional satisfaction when oral health and total health improve, so being able to continue in my profession in this capacity is the right fit for me,” she remarked.
With the support of her husband, Chris Boyer, she went into action doing research, developing a business plan, renovating their home, buying equipment, and making sure absolutely everything was ready to open her doors for her first client back on Dec. 15.
“I think we’re off to a good start,” Gustafson said. “I’ve talked to a lot of dental hygienists that have worked on their own, and they’ve said it’s not going to be as busy as a dental office.
“A lot of people don’t know we’re out, that we can do this,” she stressed.
“It’s new and the public has to be made aware of this.”
The Ontario Dental Hygienists Association (ODHA) and the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario (CDHO) are working to raise awareness of dental hygienists and the importance of preventative oral health care, she added.
“For the sake of the public’s health, they want us out on our own,” Gustafson said. “It gives people better access to not just oral health, but full body health, too.
“That’s why they’ve advocated we go out on our own—so the public have more choices.”
Gustafson, who now has 30 years’ experience as a dental hygienist, said she offers “professional, personalized, preventive dental hygiene in a private, serene environment.”
“I really enjoy what I do,” she enthused. “I know I offer a very good service, and I am hoping that people are going to want to come for that.”
Services range from complete teeth and gum assessments, scaling, stain removal, and fluoride application to denture care, teeth whitening, and custom mouthguards.
She also provides oral hygiene education, oral cancer screening, counselling for smoking cessation, and diet and nutritional counselling.
Gustafson follows the ODHA fee guide and codes, meaning some of her services can be 20 percent or more lower than the dental fee guide in Ontario.
She noted dental hygiene isn’t just about treating the mouth, but treating the whole person.
Living by the adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, Gustafson stressed the importance of good oral hygiene as a means to preventing illness.
“They’ve done studies, and you can prevent possible health complications from heart attack, stroke, pneumonia, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes,” she said.
“Even women who have gum disease have a higher chance of having premature births and underweight babies,” she explained, adding more information about this is available on many dental hygiene websites.
Gustafson also said having a home-based business has its advantages.
Financial savings from lower overhead costs can be passed on to clients receiving preventive oral health care services at LifetimeSmiles where “energy can be focused on what is important—alternative and improved access to dental hygiene services and improved health care for the public” she noted.
In turn, this “increases the probability that LifetimeSmiles will continue to be in business and provide these services long term.”
Since LifetimeSmiles offers flexible hours that include daytime, evening, and Saturday appointments, Gustafson easily can do things in her own home between appointments, and time is not spent travelling to and from work.
And the setting also is comfortable for her clients.
“Everyone really likes the environment. It’s private,” she noted.
“When I talk to people about their mouth, it’s an intimate experience,” reasoned Gustafson, adding maybe some people don’t want others to hear about their plaque build-up.
Gustafson also make home visits upon request. To find out more, call her at 276-2887.
Looking to the future, Gustafson said she will consider mobile services to provide preventive oral health care in rural and remote communities.
She explained dental hygienists in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada are trying to get the federal government to better support First Nations’ residents accessing independent dental hygiene practices.
Right now, the federal government only accepts dental pricing codes, meaning a First Nations person’s dental care only will be covered if they go to a dentist, but not an independent dental hygienist, who use their own pricing codes.
“It would offer a lot of access to First Nations, especially those that are in areas where it’s hard for them to get to oral care services,” Gustafson argued.
“We could use mobile services that we could bring to them.
“There are many times that people come all the way, say from Seine River, and that’s a long way to come for an appointment,” she added. “If because of weather, they’re a little bit late, that makes their appointment time that much shorter.
“It’s hard.”
