Dental program still a sore tooth for dentists, patients

Because of the lack of communication between the government and dental health providers, dentists are concerned about what exactly will be covered, which could damage relationships with existing patients and still have high out-of-pocket costs.

According to Dr. Jenny Doerksen, companies like Sunlife have already started reaching out to negotiate terms but due to the ambiguity, she’s unsure of what she’s being asked to sign up for.

Dr. Doerksen says that public dental coverage is sorely needed, but that the cookie cutter approach has only left more questions than answers.

“Two thirds of Canadians do have private dental care through their schools, workplaces or private dental packages, but we still don’t know what the government is going to do to protect these people,” she said.

“We’re wondering what the other existing social programs will look like in other provinces.”

“There’s a lot of uncertainties and some ambiguity of how this program, as it rolls out, how it’ll affect all Canadians.”

Common concerns from the dental community have been patients delaying preventative care due to cost, unpredictable fee guides on government websites and dental tourism, which tends to cause more harm than good.

Full roll out of federal benefits for all qualified Canadians is expected to begin in 2025.

by Adrian St.Onge

Dental program still a sore tooth for dentists, patients

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