It's time to expand dental-care coverage

Posted April 8, 2016

April is Oral Health month. On my Facebook page, there is a lovely ad from the Ontario Dental Association suggesting that people make their teeth a big deal by visiting their dentist. Below it are numerous comments asking “Who can afford it?”. It is so true that the working poor and seniors have absolutely no coverage. For people on limited incomes, dental care costs are prohibitive. In my own life, we just spent over $2000 for my 96 year old mother whose annual income is just $18,000. My fiancé recently had one extraction, an exam and cleaning for a bill of over $700. We are supposed to get our teeth cleaned more than once a year, but who can blame the working poor and seniors for not following that recommendation when they are busy just trying to make ends meet at the end of the month? What happens next is that gum disease, abscesses and caries result in trips to the Emergency Room for antibiotics and pain relief. This is only a temporary solution and the cost of extractions and fillings surely will follow. We need to stop the madness! Effective dental care should be a right, not a privilege.

Poor oral care -> poor dentition -> poor nutrition -> frailty -> falls

What can we do? Support the anti-poverty groups, health care and other advocates who want to see this change. Lobby your local MPP and MP to include dental care under health care. How can your mouth not be part of your total body? Let’s give the working poor and seniors something to truly smile about.

Check out this Opinion Editorial from the Orillia Packet & Times: It's time to expand dental-care coverage

Also check out this article from the Barrie Examiner:http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2016/03/31/expand-dental-coverage-health-unit

Another group that is keen to help is The College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario www.cdho.org