Manitoba dentistry college impacted federal program [Video]

Work has begun on a brand new dental clinic for the University Of Manitoba’s College Of Dentistry. 

Thanks to a $5 million gift from Dr. Gerald Niznick and his wife Reesa, the school is building a new 34,000-square-foot facility. 

“Living into one’s 80s in good health is certainly fortunate,” said former student and philanthropist Niznick. “But to do it and still be able to make a contribution to society supporting state-of-the-art facilities for training young dentists is truly a blessing.”

But an important part of that training is being threatened. Typically the students provide low-cost dental care for patients who are uninsured or under-insured.

But these are the very same patients who now qualify for the federal government’s new Canadian Dental Care Plan, allowing them to see any participating dentist.

“The fees at the school are still lower,” said Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, the Dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College …