Key Takeaway
- Ontario should have strong dental programs, but instead it spends only $4.99 per person on public dental services, far below the national average of $15.53.
- Oral health and overall health are connected and when dental issues are left untreated, they can have a great impact on a person’s quality of life.
- The federal Canadian Dental Care Plan presents us with an opportunity to improve access to dental care but only if our provincial dental programs are strong and fully funded.
The ODA firmly believes that Ontarians should have access to safe, high quality dental care. Dentists know the important connection between oral and overall health. When dental issues are left untreated, adults have difficulty getting and holding jobs, children miss days of school, and the hospital system has more pressure put on it as patients go to emergency rooms with dental problems.
Dentists provide care to vulnerable patients under Ontario’s dental programs: to children from low-income families through Healthy Smiles Ontario; to adults through the Ontario Disability Support Program and Ontario Works; and to patients requiring emergency and complex care in hospitals through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. However, these dental programs are severely underfunded and have been so for more than a decade. Ontario spends only $4.99 per person on public dental services. This is far below the national average of $15.53 per person.
The federal government’s Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is an opportunity to improve access to dental care. Early in 2024, the Ontario government announced an interim approach to coordinate benefits between the CDCP and Healthy Smiles Ontario and the Ontario Disability Support Program. This means patients on provincial programs will have access to greater coverage under the CDCP. We encourage the Ontario government to preserve this coordination of benefits approach by making it long-term and lasting.
To learn more about what the current provincial dental care plans cover and if you qualify, visit our Government Dental Programs page.
To get the most up-to-date information on the federal dental care plan and Canada Dental Benefit, visit our Canadian Dental Care Plan page.