by Betty Bardswich
MINDEMOYA—The town of Mindemoya has seen a great deal of growth in the last few years with new housing as well as new businesses making their mark in the community. Of special interest to all Islanders was the opening of a new dental clinic, the Mindemoya Dental Centre, on Highway 551 near the Mindemoya Health Centre.
Doctors Charanpal Ahlewalia of Oakville along with his wife Manjinder Kler, who is also a dentist, were looking to eventually come north and get away from the hustle and bustle of southern Ontario.
“I crossed paths with Doctor Burdenuk,” Dr. Ahlewalia told The Expositor, “who was looking to phase out. We built this state-of-the-art dental clinic and Dr. Burdenuk loves it and will be staying on indefinitely.”
Islanders are very familiar with Dr. Burdenuk who has served Manitoulin for many years as a dental surgeon and has also provided care for the students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 at Central Manitoulin Public school (CMPS) in the early ‘80s along with his wife Deborah. With a dental coach, the Burdenuks looked after the children who were in an underserviced area on both Manitoulin and in Spanish. In July of 1982 Dr. Burdenuk set up practice in the Old School House in Mindemoya.
Dr. Stephen Tannis practises at the new clinic as well. He is from Toronto and is also happy to make the move North, saying, “I love the Island.” He and Dr. Burdenuk talked about some of the new equipment in the clinic. The introral camera is a boon to both patients and dentists as it connects to a computer and onto a screen which allows the patient to see exactly what is going on in their mouth, from cavities to old fillings that need replacement to plaque. The use of the camera allows the patient to decide, along with the dentist, exactly what needs to be done. The clinic has everything digital including x-rays and the sterilization and disinfection measures are of the newest technology. Almost every possible procedure can be done at the new clinic beyond the usual fillings and cleanings. These include bonding, veneers, whitening, crowns and bridgework, removable dentures, screening for oral cancer and treatment for chronic jaw pain. There is also dentistry for children, which starts at age one, and clients are also encouraged to talk with a dentist before having any tongue piercings done as they can lead to many oral health problems. Emergencies will be dealt with immediately.
Blanche Campbell of Mindemoya is also helping with dental needs at the Mindemoya clinic. She has assisted at both the original clinic, and now the new one, for almost 32 years. She has seen many changes over the years and remembers when a root canal would take three visits of one hour each. The treatment is now typically done in less than an hour.
Other employees at the new business include Sue VanHorn, who is the office manager and has worked at Dr. Burdenuk’s clinic for 16 years, Tina Ouellett, who is a level two dental assistant, and hygienists Lisa Ray and Ashleigh Moffat-Keller.
Islanders will also be happy to know that there will be another state-of-the-art dental centre opening soon in Little Current.
To book an appointment for dental care, call 705-377-6689 or to make an appointment online, go to mindemoyadental.com.
