Canadian denturist kills 22 people

Jeremy Booth, DTI

Thu. 30. April 2020

save

PORTAPIQUE, Nova Scotia, Canada: The person believed to be responsible for Canada’s worst-ever mass shooting was a denturist who ran two denture clinics in the eastern maritime province of Nova Scotia. According to media reports, Gabriel Wortman’s deadly rampage began on April 18 and spanned 12 hours before he was shot by police.

Canada is mourning the victims of the mass shooting, among whom were a primary school teacher, two health care workers, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer and a family of three. Tributes to the victims have been held virtually, owing to social distancing measures that are in place to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Signage being removed from Gabriel Wortman’s Atlantic Denture Clinic in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia on April 22. (Image: Elizabeth Pepler/Facebook)

According to various media reports, the shootings began in the coastal town of Portapique, where the perpetrator is reported to have lived, and ended nearly 100 km away in Enfield, Nova Scotia. Wortman is thought to have arbitrarily traversed the territory in Nova Scotia, and his former girlfriend and her new partner are reported to have been the first two victims.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said that at least five buildings and cars were burnt in the course of the rampage, and the media agency confirmed that the shooter was wearing an RCMP uniform and driving a replica RCMP vehicle.

Wortman has been described as a wealthy denturist with a fixation with police memorabilia. He attended the University of New Brunswick and initially studied to become a mortician before pursuing denturism and becoming a licensed denturist. He owns a denture clinic in Dartmouth and another in Halifax, both in Nova Scotia.

According to the Associated Press, Wortman had been forced to temporarily close his Atlantic Denture Clinic practice owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Police investigations are ongoing, including into the motive of the perpetrator.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

New Canadian dental plan to insure nine million people

OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada: Enrolments have begun for the ambitious Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), which aims to provide millions of uninsured and ...

Canadian DSO enters US market with Florida acquisition

TORONTO, Canada: Dentalcorp, the largest dental support organisation (DSO) in Canada, has added 21 supported dental clinics to its portfolio by acquiring ...

Sugar-sweetened drinks: Could dental teams help young people cut back?

SHEFFIELD, England: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a significant source of daily calorie intake among children and adolescents in the UK. While policy...

Oral-B announces European study on oral care for people with disabilities

BARCELONA, Spain: Oral-B has announced a large Europe-wide study on the oral care experiences of people with disabilities—Project Steady. The research is ...

2022 ADF congress and exhibition returns to Paris from 22 to 26 November

PARIS, France: The annual congress and exhibition of the French Dental Association (ADF) is a leading event in dentistry and continuing education in Europe....

Thriving, not just surviving: Real-life skills for young dentists

PRAGUE, Czech Republic: Recognising the opportunities and challenges faced by the next generation of dental professionals, FDI has made young dentists a ...

New dental material resists plaque and kills microbes

PHILADELPHIA, U.S.: Dentists rely on composite materials to perform restorative procedures, such as filling cavities. However, these materials, just like ...

Interview: “You cannot push people into digital dentistry”

It is safe to say that Prof. Markus Blatz has dedicated his life to the furthering of clinical and theoretical knowledge in order to advance dentistry. His ...

Improving oral health of people with intellectual disability

MELBOURNE, Victoria, Australia: People with intellectual disability face various social, conceptual and other challenges that affect their overall health ...

Primary teeth reveal unknown group of ancient people

CAMBRIDGE, UK: Scientists have recently found two primary teeth buried deep in a remote archaeological site in north-eastern Siberia. The discovery has ...

Education

Live webinar
Thu. 5 November 2026
1:00 pm EST (New York)