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The Harbour View dental clinic is starting the school year off with a new look.

The clinic, located in Harbour View School near Highfield Park in Dartmouth, NS, was outfitted with brand new A-dec dental chairs and lights over the summer.

鈥淭his is a much-needed upgrade as the clinic has been using equipment that is over 30 years old,鈥� says Janice Ruppert, one of the clinic鈥檚 dental assistants.

This upgrade means that dentistry and dental hygiene students from 鲍鱼tv University, who provide dental care at Harbour View, will be able to work with the same equipment used in the 鲍鱼tv clinic. This creates consistency and makes it easier for the students to learn. It will also help dental staff keep up with the fast-paced nature of the clinic.

鈥淭ime is of the essence when working with children,鈥� says Janice. 鈥淣ow we don鈥檛 have to worry about equipment being slow or breaking down.鈥�

The full-service clinic started as a mobile trailer in 1986 at a nearby school. In 1989, the trailer relocated to the outside of Harbour View School before being permanently moved to the basement of the school in 1990. The clinic also services nearby John MacNeil Elementary and Bicentennial School with help from the Boys and Girls Club bus.

On average, the staff can see up to 22 patients a week and the clinic gives these children access to a regular dentist regardless of their circumstances. The clinic is a win-win situation as the students get the experience they need to be more confident when treating children, and the children get access to dental care they otherwise may not receive.

鈥淭he students love coming here and they enjoy the experience because everyone involved wants to be there,鈥� says Janice. 鈥淭he kids will follow me down the halls asking when is it their turn. When the dental students graduate, they are much more likely to treat children now that they have had the pediatric experiences at Harbour View.鈥�

In addition, Janice says the school鈥檚 staff has also shown great appreciation for the clinic.

鈥淭he staff here are wonderful and they always say how lucky they are to have a clinic in the school,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey also include us in all of their school activities, which is great!鈥�