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In total, more than $1.4 million in treatment has been provided to 13,000 children through one of the Alex dental programs and its partners. The dental bus is running at capacity and they are unable to keep up with the demand from the public, schools and agencies, said Kokaram.

“Every day I am fielding an increasing number of calls from people wanting to know how to access care but who are not falling into the criteria for government assistance and are not able to afford to go to the mainstream dentist and they’re in desperate need.”

Photo by Leah Hennel / Leah Hennel/Postmedia

Ashley Chorney is one of those parents. She’s a stay-at-home mom and her husband is a self-employed seasonal worker. They just can’t afford Blue Cross coverage so her daughter Ava, 7, was referred by the Alex to a free clinic on Friday at Westhills Dental Centre.

“When I got the call I had tears, but they were happy tears,” she said. “It’s so great that people are willing to help. They are doing something truly amazing.”

While the Alex does a lot of work with the homeless community, Kokaram said the biggest demand for dental care is coming from those who just lost their jobs or have low-income employment without benefits.

“Many of our clients are working poor and disadvantaged families who cannot afford (it). The very poor have access to government assistance but the working poor continually fall through the cracks.”

Another concern is the severity of dental problems these children have when they are first seen.