Dental care benefits for First Nations and Inuit falling behind Canadian standards, say dentists

Joy SpearChief-Morris is the recipient of the 2025 CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowship, established to encourage Indigenous voices and better understanding of Indigenous issues in Canada's major media and community outlets.

Janine Manning needed a root canal.

While a fairly common procedure, Manning’s dentist recommended her to a specialist because of the specific injury to her tooth.

Manning is a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation in southern Ontario, and uses the federal Non-Insured Health Benefits program (NIHB) that covers things like dental care for First Nations people and Inuit.

But when it came to pay the bill, Manning was told the federal program would cover only $159 of the nearly $2,200 procedure.

Manning was able to get about $1,400 covered by her private insurance, but still had to pay nearly $600 out of pocket.

"It just seems like such a frustrating system that is really not supportive of Indigenous folks who are just simply trying to access dental services,” Manning said.

The NIHB program covers things not insured by medicare, like vision and dental care, mental health counselling, prescriptions, travel for medical services and medical supplies and equipment. It’s positioned as a payer of last resort, meaning clients who have benefits from provincial/territorial or private insurance must first use those.

Dentists and users of the program, like Manning, say the program is not keeping up with modern costs and procedures. Administrative burdens are causing dentists to opt out of the program, creating accessibility issues for First Nations and Inuit clients who can’t afford to pay up front. 

According to the NIHB program’s 2023-2024 annual review, about 344,898 clients used dental benefits. Dental benefits were the program’s third largest expenditure that fiscal year, with over $379 million spent.

But barriers to accessing dental care is the number one complaint when it comes to NIHB, according to Caroline Lidstone-Jones, chief executive officer of the Indigenous Primary Healthcare Council. 

“Many NIHB eligible First Nations people face long wait times, partial approvals, providers who won't take NIHB and major travel barriers,” she said.

“These challenges often turn treatable dental issues into preventable tooth loss.”

Lidstone-Jones, a member of Batchewana First Nation, had to get a root canal recently herself.