Access to Care- For all Canadians
According to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, there are significant income-related inequalities in oral health and inequity in access to oral health care. Those with the highest levels of oral health problems are also those with the greatest difficulty accessing oral health care.
Preventive Oral Care
Oral health is crucial to overall health, but more and more Canadians find themselves without access to dental professionals. Most people don’t fully recognize the toll that failing to prevent oral diseases and other conditions takes, not only on individual health and well-being, but also on the country as a whole.
Inequitable access to dental professionals is compromising the oral health of Canadians and putting a strain on Canada’s health care system, likely adding to wait times. All Canadians bear this burden as a result. Many of the diseases and conditions that are presented at doctors’ offices and emergency rooms are preventable and would be best addressed with routine oral assessments and regular plaque and tartar removal by registered dental hygienists. If provincial/territorial and federal governments reallocated public funds to invest in more accessible preventive oral health care, they could support better health outcomes for all Canadians.
Use the attached resources to help ensure that all of your local candidates are informed of the importance of access to preventive oral care for all Canadians.
Let’s put an end to the burden of oral disease in Canada!
Do you know of the available programs in your area to assist with improving access to oral health care?
This link provides information about publicly funded oral health programs, categorized by area.
