With giving back to Qualicum Beach at the heart of their initiative, Dr. Francis LaCouvee and Dr. Simon Gooch will hold a Free Dental Day at their clinic Arbutus Dental Clinic on Oct. 20.
The day will offer individuals the opportunity to visit the clinic, 183 Fern Rd. W in Qualicum Beach, where they will be evaluated and receive either a free cleaning, filing or extraction. The services are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis between the hours of 8 a.m. and approximately 2 p.m.
Both LaCouvee and Gooch said the day would not be possible without the help of their staff, who are volunteering their time to come in on a Saturday.
“We’ll have six hygienists and six chairs,” Gooch said.
“The whole staff is showing up to work on a Saturday to give back to the community… that’s pretty cool.”
Arbutus Dental first held Free Dental Day in 2016 around Christmas time. They saw more than 70 patients and hope to service even more this year.
“We just had so much success two years ago…that we wanted to build on that concept of Thanksgiving and giving and doing it at that time,” LaCouvee said.
“[Free Dental Day] is essentially just to give back to the community because they’ve provided so much. I’ve been here since 1991 and [Qualicum Beach] has provided an incredible opportunity for me as a professional.
“It’s also provided a great lifestyle for my family, I’ve been able to raise three sons in the community and I just feel that giving back begins at home, charity begins in our own community.”
Other than the support from their staff, LaCouvee and Gooch say Free Dental Day wouldn’t be possible without the support from Qualicum’s Quality Foods and their dental suppliers.
