Looking for access to subsidized dental care? It might depend on where you live
CBC
Nearly three quarters of dentists are accepting patients through the new Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) but dentist participation rates still vary widely from province to province.
Data obtained by CBC News shows the CDCP participation rate for dentists is lowest in the Maritimes, Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. In New Brunswick, only 40 per cent of dentists are accepting CDCP patients. In the three territories, only 38 per cent of dentists take part in the program.
The provincial and territorial data was provided to CBC News after four weeks of repeated requests to Health Canada and Health Minister Mark Holland's office.
It's not clear how hard it is for patients outside of cities to find dental clinics that are accepting CDCP patients. Data on the number of participating dentists in rural and remote regions of Canada is not available, Holland's spokesperson Matthew Kronberg told CBC News.
"I think it's a bunch of hooey," said Susan Francis, a 69-year-old who lives in the small community of Kindersley, Sask.
"I think that's a no-brainer to try to figure out where it's being used and where it isn't."
Francis said she expects to drive more than two hours to Saskatoon to a dentist willing to accept her through the CDCP, since no nearby clinic will.
"It's really disappointing for me," she said. "I get free dental care, woo-hoo, but it's going to cost me gas money.
"It needs to be accessible for all people, not just people that live in urban centres."
Oral health-care professionals voluntarily take part in the new national dental insurance program, either by signing up as a registered provider or by processing patient claims on a case-by-case basis.
The low participation rate among dentists in New Brunswick is likely due to their thinly staffed offices, said Paul Blanchard, executive director of the New Brunswick Dental Society.
"We've had an increase in population here, pretty significantly since COVID, and we have an aging population of dentists," Blanchard said, adding that New Brunswick has one of the worst dentist-to-patient ratios in the country.
"A significant portion of dental clinics are not able to accept new patients today," he said. "And this program isn't fully rolled out."
Right now, applications for the CDCP are open to seniors, children under the age of 18 and people who receive the federal disability tax credit. The rest of the eligible adult population will be able to apply for coverage in January 2025.
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