Walking into a dentist’s office can sometimes be intimidating. For individuals living with HIV, there is the added consideration of how a health care provider might react to their diagnosis. Will they have an understanding of HIV or will false preconceptions make the experience uncomfortable?
Through both his personal and professional experiences, Dr. Nick Aytoglu understands the subtle and overt forms of discrimination individuals with HIV may encounter in health care settings. During his training, he saw some dentists double up on gloves for a patient with HIV. “It’s one thing to learn about [HIV], it’s another thing to have that empathy for it and to know what to say, how to react, understand what’s going on,” said Dr. Aytoglu.
Dr. Aytoglu serves as Clinic Manager at the Positive Living Community Dental Clinic, opened in February 2018 to ensure people living with HIV could access dental care in an inviting setting. Most importantly, the clinic people living with HIV with access to affordable dental care. Through a combination of donations and offsetting costs with paying patients, fees can be covered for those without available funds or health coverage.
“I really like working here. I feel like I am giving back to the community and am much more at home here,” said Dr. Aytoglu. “I have so much passion to make sure that patients have access to care and have the comfort to be able to share with their health care provider, not just about HIV.”
Comfort is a key element to the glassed-in clinic, located at Positive Living BC’s headquarters right in downtown Vancouver at the corner of Helmcken and Seymour. Patients have said they feel more at ease accessing dental services there, and some comment on the fishbowl housing four little colourful pets, Finns, Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nods.
Alongside an empathetic environment, the quality of care is critically important. The facility is equipped to handle all kinds of dental care-from cleanings and oral hygiene advice, to minor oral surgery and restorative dentistry. The treatment rooms are bright, sleek and full of state-of-the-art equipment. “High tech is one of the things that is really interesting about the clinic because we were starting from scratch, with generous donations from the Ministry of Health and also from community,” said Adam Reibin, Director of Communications and Education at Positive Living BC.
The goal is to promote oral health as a means for overall holistic health. The busy clinic sees on average upwards of 20 patients per day and can accommodate walk-in clients. “We are able to accommodate patients regardless of the time they can come in. We just make it work,” said Dr. Aytoglu. The care providers take some big-hearted steps to ensure the experience is accessible. Dr. Aytoglu once drove to New Westminster for a patient who could not afford the commute to Vancouver. “There was no way for us to send him money to pay for the bus fare, so I ended up just going in the morning, picked him up and then gave him money to get back home,” said Dr. Aytoglu.
Ken Coolen, a Peer Research Coordinator, finds the clinic helps acknowledge ongoing, dynamic health and social needs affecting individuals living with HIV, particularly as the population ages. “A lot of our members deal with secondary challenges, like mental health or addiction or other things that affect their state of mind. [The clinic staff] does a really good job of working with those individuals and I think that’s the important part,” said Coolen.
For Coolen the idea of giving back to the community is really what inspires him to use the clinic services. “Not only am I getting my dental work done, and my checkups, but I am supporting a community dental clinic,” said Coolen. “We are able to give free exams and X-rays for our members who otherwise couldn’t afford it.”
The clinic hours are generally 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with emergency walk-ins welcome. To book an appointment please call 604-893-2202 or email dental@positivelivingbc.org.