Brightening smiles: VCC’s dental clinic opens doors for free dental services to kids

VCC Certified Dental Assisting student, Josephine Jolie

Vancouver Community College’s (VCC) Certified Dental Assisting students made smiles brighter and healthier for elementary school children and their families by offering complimentary dental services at the community-focused event that took place from June 10-13. 

VCC students in the 10-month intensive program learn specialized skills and knowledge needed to assist dentists with procedures, provide oral health education, and function as a dental health team member. This year, the program culminated in a 4-day event where students put their skills into real-world practice by offering free dental assessments and preventative services such as tooth sealants, oral hygiene instructions, polishing, and fluoride treatment to children and their families. In the end, close to 200 children participated and $35,000 worth of dental services were provided.  

Josephine Jolie, a student who participated in the event, worked as a dental receptionist before enrolling in VCC’s Certified Dental Assisting program.  

“I feel like this event has empowered kids and their families to take control of their oral health, preventing minor problems from becoming big problems,” says Jolie. "And as students, it has enabled us to give back to the community by providing dental services to friends, family and people in our community. Because VCC offers one-on-one, hands-on skills, I know that after graduating from VCC, I will be ready and confident for the real world.” 

According to the The State of Oral Health in Canada released by the Canadian Dental Association, 60-90% of school-aged children around the world have some form of tooth decay. This underscores the urgent need for accessible dental care, particularly among disadvantaged communities.   

In addition to offering free checkups, VCC’s dental care event also aimed to reduce children’s anxiety about dental care and increase understanding of good oral hygiene. The days were filled with fun and positivity with visits from VCC’s “tooth fairies,” and finished with activities and a healthy snack. 

VCC's "tooth fairies" offered friendly dental services to elementary students

"Hosting this event not only provided invaluable hands-on experience for our Certified Dental Assisting students but instilled in them the importance of giving back to our community,” says Ling Lo Yan, Department Leader, Dental Assisting and Dental Reception programs.  

Adds Jo-Ellen Zakoor, VCC Dean of Health Sciences, “It was a tremendous team effort. Everyone from the Dental Assisting and Dental Reception faculty, to staff, to students, worked hard to help make this happen. VCC prides itself in offering real learning for real change. This is a great example of how we are living out our values by offering our students a practical education while giving back to our community.” 

The event was made possible through the generosity of donors and funding support from VCC Foundation. The VCC dental clinic is open to the public offering quality, low-cost dental screening and basic hygiene care.  

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Interested in donating to the 2025 Tooth Trolley Project? Please contact VCC Foundation or make a donation online. 

For photos and b-roll contact: 
Carey Yada Lee 
Strategic Communications Specialist 
cyadalee@vcc.ca  
236.833.3640 

About Vancouver Community College 

VCC is a publicly funded college located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. For over 140 years, VCC has played a vital role in serving our diverse community by providing a skilled workforce in the city, the province, and beyond. VCC is a key player in the post-secondary landscape in B.C. Our connections to industry ensure that our students have direct access to employers while our model of access and our partnerships across the post-secondary sector assist students to reach their goals at any stage of their educational journey. For more information visit www.vcc.ca  

About VCC’s Dental programs 

VCC offers comprehensive educational programming in dental health designed to prepare students for success in various facets of the dental industry. From dental assisting to hygiene, reception, and dental technology sciences, our curriculum offers a holistic approach to dental education. VCC’s Dental Clinic located at its Downtown campus is also open to the public offering quality, low-cost dental care. Services are delivered by students from VCC's dental hygiene program, under the guidance of experienced instructors.