The Nova Scotia Dental Association launched a campaign this week create public awareness around the status of children's oral health in our province.  

Did you know that:
• 36% of Nova Scotia's kids have dental decay by the age of 6? 
• 28-31% of day-surgery operating room time in NS hospitals is being used for dental procedures? 
• dental decay is 5 times more common than childhood asthma?

Dental decay is a preventable childhood disease that causes undue pain and suffering in children of all ages.    It results in lost sleep, difficulty eating, and missed school time.  Our kids deserve better!

The dentists of Nova Scotia recognize that the province has limited tax dollars to spend on government programs.  That's exactly why we think that it is important to spend the money available for the Children's Oral Health Program, more  wisely.  We would like to see a restructured program that puts the emphasis on PREVENTION, so that we can start to make a dent in this childhood disease! 

Sign on to somethingtosmileabout.ca to pledge your support and help us do better for Nova Scotia's children!

Dr. Hennessy being interviewed by CBC TV  for a piece on the Children's Oral Health Program.

Dr. Erin Hennessy has been named the 127th President of the Nova Scotia Dental Association.  She has worked with the NSDA over the last 8 years as a volunteer on the Governing Council, various committees, and more recently on the NSDA Executive of Table Officers.  She looks forward to what the next year will bring and thanks her family and incredible team of women at the office for supporting her in this exciting role!

For the second year in a row, Wolfville Dentistry has been the recipient of the "Best Dressed Duck" award at the annual Apple Blossom Festival Rotary Corporate Duck Race!  This year's Festival theme was "Traditions" and our duck was dressed for the the local tradition of "Tubing down the Gaspereau River"!  She had a sun visor, a thirst-quenching beverage, and a bathing suit on!  Thanks to our own one-woman creative team, Debbie Usher for another award winning year!!!

After 10 long months of planning (and planning and planning), we're happy to announce that we are finally in our newly renovated location at 189 Dykeland St. in Wolfville!

We're having a party to celebrate this Wednesday, April 12 from 6:30 - 8:30pm.  You don't have to be a patient to come, so grab a friend and come for snacks, drinks, and even prizes! 

We are loving our new and efficient one-level layout, the fresh new colours, and the convenient location. Our patients are also loving the ample parking!  Click here for a before and after tour of the process!

A huge thanks goes out to our neighbours across the foyer at Wolfville Integrated Health Centre.  They were so patient with all our noise, dust, and chaos.  We look forward to a great synergistic relationship!

A project of this scope doesn't happen without an amazing team.  In addition to the incredible women I work with on a daily basis, I also had the following renovation team that patiently put up with my many questions.  These are the best of the best and I highly recommend them to anyone and everyone:

The entire team at Roscoe Construction - General Contractor
Heather Williams - Project Manager Extraordinaire, Roscoe
Mike Dexter - Superb Site Supervisor, Roscoe
Wayne and Gina Isnor - Safe Home Electric (902-681-4357)
Vaughan Gates - Vaughan Gates Plumbing and Heating
Johnny Foster and team - J.M Painting
Rob and Holly Trahan - Aura Custom Cabinet Design
Scott Crowell - LNC Computer Services (902-365-6565)
Doug Avery & Malcom MacNeil - Patterson Dental
Deborah Nicholson - Deborah Nicholson Interiors & Lighting
Michael Gabriel- Michael Gabriel Communications
Lynda MacDonald - Harvest Gallery

This week we welcomed the newest (and cutest) addition to our team!  Meet Bella, a Mini-Dachshund (seriously?) puppy belonging to Erin Wolfe, who our patients will know as "Erin-from-the-front-desk". 

Admittedly, I have become obsessed with this little package of cute...thinking perhaps she could be a therapy dog for our anxious patients...except I'd worry that we'd lose her amongst the dental instruments, she's so tiny!!!

We've had quite a year of changes at our office.  We said goodbye to Dr. Andrew Nette,  welcomed the lovely Dr. Sara Moore, and signed a 15 year lease for our terrific new location!  I couldn't have made it through the craziness of this year without the incredible team of women that I am blessed to call my "work family".  They keep me organized, and smiling and make coming to work an absolute joy each and every day!

We are also blessed to have such a wonderful patient family.  Our patients continue to flatter us with their referrals of friends and family. This is truly the highest compliment that can be passed on to us! 

As the year draws to a close and we look forward to 2017,  we'd like to extend wishes for a wonderful holiday season to all our patients.  The office will be closed on December 23rd and will re-open on January 2, 2017. 

On a rainy Saturday, October 29, 2016, over 40 volunteers gathered to provide much-needed dental care to patients for whom the cost of treatment had created an insurmountable barrier.
 
The event was initiated by Sandy MacDonald who works in the Wolfville branch of Henry Schein (a dental supply company).  Sandy wanted to develop a project that could take advantage of the “Henry Schein Cares” Foundation, which encourages employees to give back to the communities which they serve.  Henry Schein provided equipment, dental supplies, and volunteers for the event.
 
By the end of the day 11 dentists, and over 30 support staff from many dental offices throughout the Valley  had provided almost $12,000.00 worth of free dental care!  We saw 18 patients in total, and provided 40 fillings, 42 extractions, and 2 root canals
 
Dr. Hennessy helped to organize the event, and was proud to be a part of something so positive.  She says:  “The dentistry that was done was certainly an incredible measure of the success of the day.  But I also feel that there was a real sense of “togetherness” that was achieved among colleagues from different practices, different professions, and different walks of life.  From patients to volunteers I think it is fair to say that everyone walked away feeling like they had been a part of something bigger than what we could ever have done as individuals.”
 
“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community”  A.J. D’Angelo

WE ARE MOVING!

We have decided it is time for a new home for our busy, growing family practice.  While we are sad to bid adieu to the charm of the lovely old house at 9 Gaspereau Ave, we are thrilled to announce that we have found a wonderful new Wolfville location at 189 Dykeland St. (across from the Wolfville Home Hardware).

Over the last several years, we have found that more and more of our patients are not able to make the trek up the stairs to our second floor treatment rooms.  That, combined with the frustrating lack of parking at our current location, means that we are not able to offer the level of accessibility to our patient family that they deserve. 

Our new location is all on one level, and patients will be thrilled to hear that there is LOTS of parking - away from busy Main Street!  We will keep you posted as we move forward with the renovations and relocation.  Our hope is that we will be unpacked and up and running by mid-March of 2017.  If you have an appointment booked in that time frame - don't worry, we'll be sure to let you know where to find us! 

The same great team, the same great care...
JUST A GREAT NEW LOCATION!!!

For updates specifically on the reno, head on over here

In July of 2016 we welcomed our new dentist, Dr Sara Moore to our team.   After the retirement of Dr. Nette from our practice we knew that we would soon need a second dentist in order to continue providing the type of quality patient care we pride ourselves in. While finding a dentist may sound straightforward, finding "the right dentist" for our team was what we were focused on.  The top priority was finding someone who would share in our philosophy of care.  

While Dr. Hennessy spoke to many colleagues in the profession, one name kept coming up: Dr. Sara Moore!  When the two met over coffee one sunny afternoon in February, Dr. Hennessy was immediately won over by Sara's genuine nature and gentle confidence.  Right away, they started to plan for her to join the team.

Dr. Moore graduated top of her class at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Dentistry (also Dr. Hennessy's alma mater!) and has worked in community dentistry abroad.  She brings a great sense of humour and terrific new energy and skill set to our team.  We can't imagine the place without her!! 

Originally from PEI, Dr Moore says she feels at home in the Valley, with it’s sense of community akin to where she grew up.  We are thrilled she is calling the Valley home, and is a part of our dental family!

In late June 2016, we closed the office early and headed across the river to Port Williams to celebrate the grand opening of the Barrelling Tide Distillery.

 What does Dentistry have to do with a Distillery, you ask?
 
This local success story is the brainchild of our very own teammate Colleen Murphy and her husband Russell.  Their small-batch spirits and liquers are crafted using local fruits and grains, and with the attention to detail and philosophy that we uphold in our dental practice! 
 
"At Barrelling Tide Distillery, we believe good things take time; and quality will forever come before quantity."
 
It comes as no surprise to us that Colleen and Russell put such care into their product, because that is the care that she brings to our team!  It’s also the reason they can’t keep their products from flying off the shelves!
 
Be sure to take a trip to Port Williams to visit the big blue building over-looking the river.   The design and construction was completed by Marcus Crouse of Frontline Construction – another local business that shares our philosophy of attention to detail.  Marcus also happens to be part of our “family”; he is the partner of our very own Erin Wolfe!
 
Be it in distilling small-craft spirits, constructing beautiful spaces, or caring for you and your family; we all believe that taking the time to get it right wins every time!