The dentist, Dr. Mohamed-Aban Al-Khatib, is being transferred to Aylmer while the eight staff members are losing their jobs, according to a staff member within the office who wishes to remain anonymous.

According to that same staff member, the private company that operates Centre Dentaire Shawville, Clareo, made the decision due to rising expenses and a shortage of dentists at their Aylmer location. Patients are being told it was a “business decision by Clareo.”

As of September 29, all patient files will automatically be transferred to Clareo’s office in Aylmer, according to the staff member.

Pontiacers who are patients at the Centre Dentaire Shawville have a few options.

The closest dental office is in Campbell’s Bay, the Centre Dentaire Du Pontiac. However, according to a staff member there, one of the two dentists is close to retirement and therefore the office is not accepting new patients.

There is also a dentist office in Luskville located about 30 minutes away from Shawville.

As of now there are multiple dental practices in Ontario in Renfrew, Arnprior and Pembroke, however potential patients would need private insurance or pay out pocket for those services, as any coverage made available by the Government of Quebec, such as that offer to children under 10-years-old, doesn’t apply in Ontario.

The staff of the Centre Dentaire Shawville are trying to locate a new dentist for Shawville and has reached out to MNA Andre Fortin in order to recruit someone.

Fortin said he met with the staff of the office, but since dentistry isn’t a governmental responsibility, he would not be able to directly influence the matter. However he said he would work towards attracting a new dentist to the area.

“I told them that I would work with them to try to find a new dentist in the region, even though it’s not a government service, because I think it is important,” said Fortin. “Without giving too many details away, we already have a meeting lined up for later this week with a potential investor.”

Fortin said many people lack the means and the time to travel to a dentist office in either Renfrew or Luskville.

“Having a dental office in a community is a big plus. It’s a big plus from an economic standpoint, and it’s a big plus from a service standpoint.”

THE EQUITY also had the chance to ask Mike Owen Sebagenzi, the candidate for Québec solidaire, who has made the public provision of dental care a part of their platform, what he thought of the move.

While Sebagenzi said he understood the move, since Aylmer is experiencing previously unseen population growth, he says the private dental system is also at fault.

“Dental care is still under a private model, and it’s subsidized with insurance,” said Sebagenzi. “We need to have a universal program that doesn’t search to make money because we know in rural parts of Quebec, there isn’t really any money to be made.”

Warden Jane Toller of the MRC Pontiac says she is disappointed with the decision and said that the MRC has a role to play in attracting professionals to the Pontiac.

THE EQUITY plans to follow up on the reporting on the closing of the dental office in the coming weeks.

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