Mr. Speaker, I am going to talk today about something truly sparkling. And no, it won't be about the northern lights although they are pretty spectacular. Today I want to talk about healthy smiles and the amazing folks that make that happen.

There was a time when dental therapists were common which, you know, I hope to see again one day. Imagine this: We all know this story. You're down south, and even that could mean Yellowknife, that could mean somewhere else. You have a toothache, and you need to call a dentist. Boom, you get it done. Mr. Speaker, but that sometimes isn't as easy as you think. It's kind of like finding a polar bear who can do the dance of a ballet. Rare, serious, interesting, but difficult to find. But guess what? Northerners are known for standing up to challenges. They don't back down. We're known as tough. Mr. Speaker, that's why, in the old days, the northern dental therapist program was so successful. We need to bring them back.

Mr. Speaker, dental therapists, in their own way, were kind of like the James Bond of the NWT dental world. They were cool under pressure. They saved people day to day. Their dental tools were kind of even like their special gadgets. They were, at a time, fearless in the community, helping people far and wide. Mr. Speaker, they were giving kids check-ups, and hopefully they were not involving too much wiggling, teaching us about how to outsmart those sugar bugs. Mr. Speaker, they were patching up the chops and giving people good smiles, and they were doing it with great enthusiasm. Because without them, many of us may be eating lukewarm bannock and sipping tea in prayers.

Mr. Speaker, what's at this point is smiles are important. They can be bright like the aurora. They give people their own individual power. But the time has gone by long enough, we need to bring the dental therapists back.

Mr. Speaker, their honesty was truly appreciated. They were heroic in their efforts. They didn't do everything in the dental system, Mr. Speaker, but they did confront the challenges before them. Every moment we postpone in bringing back this program, we put people at risk. I don't want to see us putting our good old kiddos through a risk. I want them to be living a happy, cavity child-free experience, Mr. Speaker. I want our elders to feel more confident when they tell their stories of wisdom and the occasional fishing story that I am not so sure is truly accurate. But the truth be told is we have a vision, we can tackle this problem, we can get behind this. Let's make our communities stronger. And stronger communities are happier, Mr. Speaker, with a smile. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.