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Graystone Dental Centre is a proud supporter of the Northern Lights Health Foundation. Their support has included philanthropic gifts and as in-kind supporters of Festival of Trees, through donating toys to the Santa’s Workshop. To further their impact on local health care, the Graystone Dental team will be donating a portion of proceeds from every dental x-ray take throughout September and October 2015.
Graystone Dental Centre is a dental office based in Fort McMurray with a team of experienced dental personnel. Dr. Mike Brown and Dr. Tod Beaulne have been working together since 2001. We recently caught up with Dr. Beaulne, where he shared his team’s community involvement and why they choose to support health care in our community.
Q: Dr. Beaulne, can you share with us a bit about your professional background?
Dr. Beaulne: I graduated from the University of Alberta in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree and then immediately entered the Faculty of Dentistry where I graduated with distinction with the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree in 1999. I began practicing dentistry right away, initially in Edmonton, and later moved to Fort McMurray to work with Dr. Mike Brown at Graystone Dental in 2001.
Q: How long have you resided in the Wood Buffalo region and what inspired you to call Fort McMurray home?
Dr. Beaulne: My wife and I have resided in Fort McMurray since early 2001. Prior to that, I lived in Edmonton and Sherwood Park. My wife had lived in Fort McMurray for a summer prior to us moving here, and really liked it so we decided it would be a good move for us on a permanent basis. We love this community – it has been great to our family.
Q: Dr. Beaulne, why did you enter the field of dentistry and what about it do you enjoy the most?
Dr. Beaulne: I entered the field of dentistry mostly to provide well for my family while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I also wanted to influence my children to aspire to higher education. I also enjoy the one-on-one interaction with clients and staff on a daily basis. The work can be stressful at times but very rewarding.
Q: What does a ‘day in the life of’ look like at Graystone Dental?
Dr. Beaulne: I typically arrive before 7 a.m. I then review my patient schedule for the day, followed by hosting a daily meeting with our team to review patient cases and discuss any issues for the day. Throughout the day, I’ll treat a variety of patient conditions including general and preventative, cosmetic, restorative and emergency dental care.
Q: In addition to the Health Foundation, what organizations and causes has Graystone Dental, and yourself personally, been involved with and in what capacities?
Dr. Beaulne: Both Dr. Brown and I are quite physically active and enjoy golf, so we support the Fort McMurray Golf Course and the Syncrude Boreal Open. We also support various local sports teams and athletes, including soccer, hockey and ringette in addition to the Unity House and the local soup kitchen.
I donate much of my personal time to volunteering at my church. I’ve also travelled to Central America on various occasions to provide dental and humanitarian service to the underprivileged and impoverished people of Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala.
Q: The Health Foundation turned 30 years old this year. What inspires Graystone Dental to support the Health Foundation and why do you personally feel it’s important to support health care in our community?
Dr. Beaulne: Initially, we began supporting the Health Foundation because I was friends with the previous Executive Director. We have continued to support the Health Foundation because we enjoy giving back to the community and it’s a great cause.
I work in the Health Centre from time to time on dental-related procedures, so I get to see the direct impact of the Health Foundation’s work and am very impressed with how the funds are used. It also doesn’t hurt that I always seem to be connected to the Health Foundation through having many of the staff as patients!
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