Updated January 30, 2026 at 5:26 p.m.
Sasha is 16 years old. She has an intellectual disability. When she was little, she experienced a trauma while going to the dentist.
What followed was an intense phobia of anything resembling providing health care. She did not accept any treatment for the next five years.
“It started to worry me a lot and it posed a risk to his health,” notes his mother Élise Crevier. I began a desensitization process with professionals at home. Every day we played dentist at home.”
Instruments have been tamed, such as the electric toothbrush and small mirrors. The little family even installed a reclining beach chair in the living room to replicate the facilities of a dental clinic.
“The idea was really to prepare her and get her used to all this, but it wasn’t about going to the clinic,” continues Ms. Crevier. That’s where I found Sourires Solidaires which really changed the course of our lives.”
Small steps
Sourires Solidaires is a community pediatric dental center located at 2550, boulevard Daniel-Johnson, in Chomedey. Founded by the doctor couple Farid Amer-Ouali and Tasnim Alami-Laroussi, the place offers dental care for children with special needs.
“We know Sasha well, but every time I hear her story, it brings back a lot of emotions for me,” says Dr. Amer-Ouali. That’s really the goal and the mission [de la clinique]. It goes beyond care. It’s all the preparation and what follows.”
During their visits, Élise and Sasha find themselves in the waiting room… which looks like a games room. Already, the anxiety level is rising much less. Sasha then goes to the treatment room where the chair is covered by a blanket, making her forget that she is at the dentist.
“There is also an occupational therapist who puts pressure on his hands, arms and head as a calming strategy,” adds Ms. Crevier. We were really desensitized. There was no pressure on execution and time. We would take a break and assess whether we would continue. We were really able to adapt to Sasha.”
The mother says that Sasha is very proud of herself every time she leaves the clinic, which are great victories.
“Each child has their own rhythm,” says Dr. Alami-Laroussi. We are in contact with professionals who work with the family. We make sure we have all the information for preparation. Patients can even come for visits in advance in the clinic and, once in the operating room, we adjust to the child’s limits.”
The clinic also has staff with various expertise.
However, this type of service is not yet widespread in the majority of clinics in the province. Many patients come from far away to use their services. The co-founders of Sourires Solidaires want to launch the discussion on this issue.
“We have great support from the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Montreal,” notes Tasnim Alami-Laroussi. It’s not possible for them to introduce other professionals into the university’s clinics, so they send students to us so they can become familiar and exposed to children with different challenges.”
“In the absence of being able to provide resources everywhere, it allows us to build a foundation in order to move towards something that is more inclusive,” adds Farid Amer-Ouali. […] These are small steps in the right direction.”
Speaking of small steps, the couple collaborated with Élise Crevier to create a guide regarding acclimation to dental care for children with intellectual disabilities. It is available at lespetitspasdesasha.com.
“When I saw that it worked for Sasha, I told myself that it had been complicated and that now that we had a recipe that was no worse, we shouldn’t let it fall into oblivion without paying it forward,” explains the mother.
Free care
Another mission of Sourires Solidaires is to help customers in vulnerable situations. Nearly 5,000 children were able to benefit from free dental services in 2025.
Between 1is May 2024 and April 30, 2025, 9,310 appointments were offered by the non-profit organization, representing a total value of more than $1.3 million in care and services.
To do this, Sourires Solidaires reuses funds from paying customers for care services. She also undertakes philanthropic initiatives and receives various grants to give back more to children who need it most.
The clinic also benefits from many professionals who give their time on a voluntary basis to encourage the mission.
“It shows that the needs are great [au Québec]. We are proud to be able to contribute. We do our best to support families who are in a more difficult socio-economic context,” adds Dr Amer-Ouali.
Furthermore, Sourires Solidaires has launched a new fundraising campaign for 2026. The objective is to raise enough funds to support 1,900 new children as part of its various care programs.
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