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Edmonton Dentist Donates His Services To Syrian Refugees

And he's urging other dentists to do the same.
Oxford Dental/Facebook

An Edmonton dentist and his staff opened up their office last weekend to a group of Syrian refugees, many of whom had never had dental work done before.

After a Syrian family came to his office last month, Dr. Yousif Chaaban realized that refugees' dental coverage only took care of emergency surgery, not routine dental work.

So, he decided to do the work for free.

"Their teeth are just full of cavities, decay all over their teeth. It's unfortunate. They came to this country and a lot of them are in pain," Chaaban told CBC News. "We brought them in [today] because they don't have coverage."

A number of Syrian refugees in Canada have been facing serious dental health issues, many of which require emergency work.

On Sunday, Chaaban and his team at Oxford Dental helped out nearly 40 Syrian refugees.

An Edmonton company, Patterson Dental, provided the supplies.

It's not the first time Chaaban has stepped up to help out his community. In 2015, he partnered with other dentists at Abbotsfield Dental to offer a free day of care for Edmonton's homeless youth.

Chaaban said there are many more refugees who need help, and is urging other dentists to lend a hand.

“I want all dentists to open up their eyes to this and hopefully open up their doors – be gracious and kind enough to help them,” Chaaban told Global News.

Dental bus

A bus in Calgary has been providing a similar service.

In February, the Alex Community Health Centre brought free mobile dental health care by bus to Syrian refugees in the city, according to Metro News.

Also on HuffPost:

1. School supplies for Syrian children

Great Things Canadians Have Done So Far For Syrian Refugees

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