Dental hygienist Darlene Falls says she saw an opportunity to help people in need and create awareness about oral health.
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Falls and her dental hygienist friend Stacy Rogers recently brought toothbrushes, bottles of water, sugar-free gum and cheese to people in a tent encampment in Rainbow Park.
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Though the weather was cool and they didn’t see as many people as they’d hoped, those who did come over to visit their table were friendly and pleasant, Falls said.
“Some came and took our toothbrushes and listened to us,” she said, noting the duo offered oral hygiene tips.
“That is one thing that people who live rough, that’s difficult for them without running water,” she said.
Toothpaste isn’t necessary, she said.
“It’s more the action of getting the toothbrush in your mouth that is important.”
Cheese is another line of defense because it helps protect teeth from decay, she said.
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Sugar-free gum can also be helpful to clean teeth after eating something sticky, she said.
Falls said she hasn’t done anything like this before, but wanted to do something to mark oral health month in Canada, in April.
She visited the park April 28.
She also has “a heart” for people living rough, she said.
She wanted to visit before May 6, when Sarnia city council is expected to decide whether to proceed with clearing the park, she said.
“Because oral health month was coming to an end, I thought that this was a good opportunity to shine another light and to offer a service to the people that live there,” Falls said.
She and Rogers also wore scrubs raising awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The national day of awareness was Sunday.
Falls, who said she’s helped with fundraisers at local homeless shelters in the past, said she wished she had brought more food.
“I had a lot of cheese, so they were welcome to take as much as they wished … but I did think later, I wish I had brought a pot of chili or something.”
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