Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

First-ever oral cancer screening pop-up clinic held on Fort Garry campus

A dental specialist, wearing a mask and a light on her glasses, examines the inside of a patient's mouth.
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Dr. Vimi Mutalik, associate professor of dental diagnostic and surgical sciences, and division head of oral diagnosis at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, examines a patient at the oral cancer screening pop-up clinic on the Fort Garry campus.
Dr. Vimi Mutalik, associate professor of dental diagnostic and surgical sciences, and division head of oral diagnosis at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, examines a patient at the oral cancer screening pop-up clinic on the Fort Garry campus.
Estimated Read Time:
1 minute

When Alexandra Moya learned there would be an oral cancer screening pop-up clinic on the Fort Garry campus, she signed up right away. 

Moya, a lab assistant in the department of microbiology at the Faculty of Science, was grateful for the opportunity to be screened for oral cancer. 

“The dentist and assistant were really great. They were kind and explained everything before and after the checkup,” Moya said.  

The experience gave her a sense of relief that all was well with her oral health.

Moya was one of 219 people screened by oral pathologists and residents from the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry on March 27. The Fireplace Lounge in UMSU University Centre was transformed into a makeshift clinic for the day.

The event was very successful.

Dr. Vimi Mutalik

The pop-up clinic was organized by Dr. Vimi Mutalik, associate professor of dental diagnostic and surgical sciences, and division head of oral diagnosis, and Dr. Mohamad-Hasan Kadhim, assistant professor of dental diagnostic and surgical sciences at the UM dental college.

“The event was very successful,” Mutalik said. “The final numbers were way more than what we had expected. The goal of the screening event was to raise awareness about the incidence of oral cancer. We want more and more people to be aware that these cases can be asymptomatic most of the time, and you may not be aware that lesions are growing in your mouth.”

Mutalik said another goal of the pop-up clinic was to provide a service-learning experience for residents and students.  

Dental hygiene student Elisabeth Fust volunteered to help out at the clinic because she wanted to broaden her knowledge and collaborate with the residents and dentists screening the patients.

Three people pose for a photo in a dental clinic.
Dr. Vimi Mutalik and Dr. Mohamad-Hasan Kadhim

“I wanted to gain some experience seeing lesions in the mouth so that I can better diagnose them when I get into private practice,” Fust said.  

Periodontics resident Paul Klassen had to learn to adapt to the makeshift clinical setting.  

“The chairs are not the normal dental chairs that we have, so you have to figure out different ways to examine the patient and see all the areas of the mouth that we normally screen,” Klassen said. “The patients are really happy that we’re here this morning. They’re very receptive to all the advice we’re giving.”

Mutalik and Kadhim organized their first pop-up screening clinic on the Bannatyne campus in October 2024. They have plans to take it on the road to rural Manitoba.

18 people pose for a photo in the makeshift clinic space.
Faculty, staff, students and residents from the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry helped support the oral cancer screening pop-up clinic.
By

Matthew Kruchak