{"id":484486,"date":"2026-06-05T12:15:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T12:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/484486\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T12:15:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T12:15:10","slug":"how-a-public-health-scare-exacerbated-a-dental-care-crisis-in-the-northwest-territories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/484486\/","title":{"rendered":"How a public-health scare exacerbated a dental care crisis in the Northwest Territories"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

The building that housed the Western Arctic Dental clinic in Inuvik, NWT.Kristian Binder\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

Joshua Oliktoak was at home in Ulukhaktok, a small hamlet on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, when he got a disturbing phone call from a public-health official about dental care he and his family had received half a year earlier.<\/p>\n

In the Northwest Territories, no dentists are based outside of major population centres. That means residents in remote First Nations and Inuit communities must travel great distances for care or rely on visiting dental clinics typically contracted by the territorial government.<\/p>\n

In the spring of 2024, Mr. Oliktoak had a cavity filled at a clinic that visited his community and four others in the northernmost Beaufort Delta region. Six months later, he was told<\/a> that equipment may not have been properly sterilized, putting him at risk of contracting HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B. <\/p>\n

On the phone that October, the official advised Mr. Oliktoak that he, his daughter and his grandchildren, who had all received dental care from the visiting clinic, should get tested.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t very nice to get a notice like that, especially when your grandkids are part of that notice too,\u201d he recalled in an interview.<\/p>\n

All told, 270 clients received dental services in the five communities that spring, according to numbers The Globe and Mail obtained through access to information law. <\/p>\n

Ultimately, the concerns over improper sterilization \u2013 which were flagged six months before Mr. Oliktoak was notified \u2013 did not lead to any infections, the territory said in a December update.<\/p>\n

But Mr. Oliktoak said waiting for test results kept people in his community up at night and added to a sense of mistrust in health professionals. <\/p>\n

Two years later, the territory has yet to post the findings of an investigation into the incident. And Beaufort Delta residents haven\u2019t received dental care in their communities since. <\/p>\n

In depth: How the North became a dentistry desert<\/a><\/p>\n

The situation is part of a breakdown in access to dental care, documented by The Globe, that is being felt across the Northwest Territories. Many residents have to travel thousands of kilometres for treatment. Others have gone for years without access to a basic service in Canada. <\/p>\n

This week, the territory said it is taking steps to improve access, with $3-million in new federal funding to repair and replace dental equipment. It said it plans to restore in-community dental visits, though its statement didn\u2019t say when visits will resume in the Beaufort Delta.<\/p>\n

NWT government announces federal funding for dental care, plans to restore in-community visits<\/a><\/p>\n

What happened in that region reveals another facet of the crisis. Even when the territory contracted visiting dentists at significant expense to provide treatment in remote communities, concerns about the quality of care residents received ensued \u2013 and some questions are still unanswered. <\/p>\n

The public advisory the territory released in October, 2024, about the visits in March and April of that year did not identify the clinic that provided the care. However, in response to questions from The Globe, the Department of Health and Social Services confirmed it was Western Arctic Dental, a clinic that was based in Inuvik, the hub of the Beaufort Delta region. It ceased operations in 2024, shortly after the dental visits. <\/p>\n

Western Arctic Dental had for years been the only dental clinic based in the region. It had previously secured government contracts to provide dental care in remote communities, according to the NWT\u2019s Finance Department. The communities included Ulukhaktok, which is on Victoria Island about 670 kilometres northeast of Inuvik, as well as Aklavik, Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk and Fort McPherson. <\/p>\n

The federal government reimburses dentists for the services they provide during such visits through its non-insured health benefits program. Administered by Indigenous Services Canada, the program covers dental care for eligible First Nation and Inuit residents across the country. <\/p>\n

While the NWT government co-ordinates logistics of visiting dental clinics and medical travel, it doesn\u2019t employ the practitioners or oversee their practice.<\/p>\n

For the 2022-23 financial year, the territory awarded Western Arctic Dental a $250,000 contract to provide dental care to residents in remote and fly-in communities in the Beaufort Delta region, according to the NWT\u2019s publicly available procurement database.<\/p>\n

For the following year, the government didn\u2019t receive any compliant bids for a Beaufort Delta contract, Health Department spokesperson Andrew Wind said. So, to bridge the gap, the territory said it allowed Western Arctic Dental to perform dental services in certain communities under terms set out in its previous contract.<\/p>\n

The territory\u2019s Health Department would not say which dentists performed the care in spring 2024, citing the confidentiality of the investigation into the sterilization concerns that led to the regional public-health notice. The Globe requested the names through access to information law, but the territory\u2019s access and privacy office said the department did not have the information because it is not responsible for staffing.<\/p>\n

When asked about the vetting process for that year, Mr. Wind said it is the provider\u2019s responsibility to be licensed and to maintain professional conduct.<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

A fishing boat perches on the bank of the Mackenzie River in Inuvik in September, 2024.JASON FRANSON\/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

At the time, Viktor Dorokhine, one of two people listed in corporate filings as a director of Western Arctic Dental, was under fire in another province. <\/p>\n

In early 2024, Dr. Dorokhine held licences to practise dentistry in both the NWT and Quebec. That January, the disciplinary council of the Quebec order of dentists disciplined him for making vulgar and racist comments about women, Jewish people and Indigenous people at a 2023 student dentistry conference. He acknowledged that his conduct was inappropriate, the board\u2019s decision states. <\/p>\n

The board decided his Quebec licence should be suspended for three months, beginning on Feb. 29. Mr. Wind said the territory\u2019s licensing office learned of the suspension on March 5, about two weeks before the first dental visit linked to the public-health advisory. <\/p>\n

Dr. Dorokhine\u2019s licence to practise in the territory expired on March 31 of that year and was not renewed, Mr. Wind said. Under current legislation, disciplinary action in another province or territory doesn\u2019t automatically restrict a dentist\u2019s ability to practise in the NWT, he said. <\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada, Eric Head, said the federal government learned of Dr. Dorokhine\u2019s suspension in Quebec on March 11, and reached out to territorial officials to ensure they were aware and to check that Dr. Dorokhine\u2019s NWT licence remained in good standing. ISC terminated Dr. Dorokhine\u2019s billing privileges in the NWT, effective March 31, in line with the status of his territorial licence.<\/p>\n

Dr. Dorokhine had submitted claims for services under the non-insured health benefits program using a billing number for his Inuvik office for 21 days that March, according to ISC. <\/p>\n

However, a person familiar with the investigation into the incident involving Western Arctic Dental in the Beaufort Delta said there is no evidence to suggest that Dr. Dorokhine was practising in the remote NWT communities at the time of visits in March and April. The Globe is not naming the source, as they are not authorized to speak publicly about the case.<\/p>\n

Inside the plan to bring the first public visual arts centre to NWT<\/a><\/p>\n

The Globe made numerous attempts over several months to contact the two dentists listed as directors for the clinic, Dr. Dorokhine and Chanraksmey Chin, but they did not respond to questions. In May, someone who said they were part of a legal advice team, which was unnamed, sent an unsigned e-mail to a Globe reporter saying The Globe\u2019s repeated attempts to solicit comment from Dr. Dorokhine could be considered \u201cborderline harassment.\u201d The e-mail said legal action could be taken if further requests were made.<\/p>\n

The source familiar with the investigation said it was triggered after officials received a letter of complaint in April, 2024, raising concerns about cleanliness procedures and equipment inadequacies.<\/p>\n

The NWT\u2019s Health Department didn\u2019t address a question about why it took almost six months to issue its October advisory to dental patients, citing the continuing investigation.<\/p>\n

The case has been referred to a hearing before a board of inquiry. The Health Department\u2019s spokesperson, Mr. Wind, said that the minister may permit the findings to be published only after the board makes a determination. The board can order that dentists be suspended or fined.<\/p>\n

Despite repeated questions from The Globe, the department wouldn\u2019t say whether a hearing has taken place or whether findings have been issued. <\/p>\n

A recent public-health investigation was handled differently in Brantford, Ont. In that case, which involved improper storage of sterilized items at a dental clinic, an initial report was posted last November, about three weeks after the complaint was received, followed by a full report with findings within five months of the complaint. <\/p>\n

In the NWT, the wait for an outcome or public findings has been unusually long, said Aviv Ouanounou, an associate professor at the University of Toronto\u2019s faculty of dentistry. When an advisory of this nature is released, \u201cbest practice is to communicate in a staged but very transparent manner,\u201d he said, including posting updates. <\/p>\n

A lack of clear, regular communication can erode public trust, as well as hamper the profession\u2019s ability to learn from what happened and apply that to improve quality of care, Dr. Ouanounou said. <\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Inuvik, the hub of the Beaufort Delta region in the upper reaches of the Northwest Territories, remains without a dental clinic.DARRYL DYCK\/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

The federal government said the territory is responsible for infection control in dental clinics. In an e-mailed statement, ISC spokesperson Mr. Head said the benefits program relies on provincial and territorial dental regulators to establish standards and address professional conduct issues. He said public-health officials are responsible for investigating potential lapses. <\/p>\n

Both governments say they are working together to improve access. Last month, Inuvialuit Regional Corp., an organization that represents the Inuit of the Western Arctic, said<\/a> it has federal funding to start a new Inuvik-based medical clinic, which will provide dental services, in 2027. <\/p>\n

For now, the closing of Western Arctic Dental in 2024 has left Inuvik without a dental clinic. The absence has caused chaos not just for fly-in communities but also for the town\u2019s 3,300 residents, who must now travel for dental care.<\/p>\n

\u201cLogistically, it\u2019s been a nightmare,\u201d Inuvik Mayor Peter Clarkson said.<\/p>\n

For those going without dental care, the consequences could be serious. \u201cThe absence of routine dental services for two years is in itself very significant: Delayed diagnoses, untreated disease and increased reliance on emergency care can all follow,\u201d Dr. Ouanounou said.<\/p>\n

Moving forward, he said, \u201cit\u2019s important not only to restore services, but to do so in a way that actively rebuilds trust in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

With reports from Stephanie Chambers in Toronto and Eric Andrew-Gee in Montreal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: The building that housed the Western Arctic Dental clinic in Inuvik, NWT.Kristian Binder\/The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":484487,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[2522,2511,2523,2476,2503,2524,289,2502,2516,2517,2513,2504,2501,113,835,246,2515,2509,2533,2505,2506,1523,103,397,396,61,60,2512,166,1529,2525,768,2528,2529,2531,2526,2530,2152,2527,2507,2519,2520,1650,2518,2153,2510,80,2521,2514,2508,268,2532],"class_list":["post-484486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-alberta","tag-arts-news","tag-bc","tag-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news-video","tag-british-columbia","tag-canada","tag-canada-news","tag-canada-sports","tag-canada-sports-news","tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","tag-canadian-breaking-news","tag-canadian-news","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-environment","tag-federal-government","tag-foreign-news","tag-globe-and-mail","tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","tag-government","tag-health","tag-health-care","tag-healthcare","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-life-news","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-manitoba","tag-national-news","tag-new-brunswick","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","tag-northwest-territories","tag-nova-scotia","tag-nunavut","tag-ontario","tag-pei","tag-photos","tag-political-news","tag-political-opinion","tag-politics","tag-politics-news","tag-quebec","tag-sports-news","tag-technology","tag-travel","tag-trudeau","tag-us-news","tag-world-news","tag-yukon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=484486"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484486\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/484487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=484486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=484486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=484486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}