It’s bad enough to find out that one needs false teeth; it’s worse to find out the closest denturist is in Dawson Creek.

“It’s difficult for seniors to get to Dawson Creek,” said Save Our Northern Seniors (SONS) president Jean Leahy. “There certainly is a need.”

She, on behalf of SONS, recently wrote a letter to the Denturist Association of British Columbia, which noted her concern.

“There are lots of people with dentures,” she said.

Her intent in writing a letter was to “hopefully catch one (a denturist) to come to Fort St. John.”

She noted that the process for getting dentures often requires seven or eight trips to the denturist for fittings before finally receiving their set.

“A lot of seniors aren’t able to drive anymore,” Leahy said.

While many would have family or friends to drive them, some would be forced to pay for a bus or taxi.

She said that many people would like to have new dentures, but it isn’t worth the hassle of getting back and forth to Dawson Creek.

City Councillor Larry Evans notes that, while the over all impact is on seniors, “younger people have dentures too.”

The letter that Leahy wrote was also forwarded to the Fort St. John City Council. In response to the concern of SONS, Evans said the city wrote a letter to the Denturist Association as well.

The Denturist Association has agreed to place an advertisement in their trade magazine to potentially attract a denturist to the area.

“If it’s in this magazine, hopefully someone can come up,” said Evans.

“I hope something comes of the letter.”

He noted there’s a local dentist who will do the fittings for dentures; however, they have to be sent away. This can be a long process, especially if there’s a mistake. Both Evans and Leahy noted that there used to be a Denturist in the area, though it has been quite some time since he left.

“There is a need to have one locally so people don’t have to drive to Dawson Creek or Grand Prairie,” Leahy said.

She hopes to appeal to those who believe in the need for a local denturist to write letters of support to the association.

“If people believe there’s a need, write a letter,” she advised.

Evans agreed.

“Anybody at all should write a letter to the Denturist Association,” he said.

Their address is The Denturist Association of British Columbia, Suite 312C-9801, King George Hwy, Surrey BC V3T-5H5.

Evans said the City has addressed it the best they can, and hopes the letter-writing campaign and the advertisement in the magazine will work.

Evans added, “If someone did come, they would have a monopoly.”