P.E.I. dental association says national dental plan must align with provincial program

The Dental Association of Prince Edward Island says the federal budget promise to create a national dental program is good news for Islanders but hopes it won't replace the provincial program currently in place.

The federal Liberal government agreed to launch a new dental care program for middle- and low-income Canadians last month, in exchange for support from the New Democrats until 2025.

The federal budget tabled in the House of Commons on Thursday earmarks $5.3 billion over five years and an annual cost of $1.7 billion for dental care across the country after the program is fully implemented in 2025. This coverage is set to start this year with children under 12 and then expand to cover those under 18, seniors and people living with a disability in 2023.

The program is limited to families with incomes of less than $90,000 a year. For those with an income of less than $70,000, no co-payments will be required.

Dr. Brian Barrett, executive director of the Dental Association of P.E.I., said he's impressed with how much money the federal government is investing in dental care.

"Any time that additional funds are made available to allow more Canadians access to the dental health care that they need, that's got to be a good thing," Barrett said.

"In times like this where people have to make choices between, you know, putting food on the table for their kids or getting their teeth fixed, it's a tough decision." 

Barrett said while the federal program will benefit many Canadian who don't have other options when it comes to dental coverage, here on P.E.I., the province does provide funding options and he hopes the program can align with coverage already offered by the provincial government.

Last year, the province launched its own dental care program, which provides coverage to lower-income Islanders. The program is open to all children covered by the province's former Children's Dental Care Program, anyone receiving financial assistance and all individuals who applied via income eligibility.

The provincial program offers dental coverage on a sliding scale based on a person's income.

According to Health PEI, 15,379 eligibility cards have been sent to people who have applied for the program, and 4,985 people have accessed care through the program since October 2021.

The 2021-22 provincial dental budget was $5.4 million, but the government expects to spend $4.75 million. The budget for 2022-23 is $7.6 million, which includes investments of $3.5 million to support recent program changes. A further investment of $1.4 million is planned for 2023-24, bringing the investment to a total of $4.9 million to support the program changes.

Barrett said the provincial program has been successful so far and is a model very similar to that being offered by the federal government. He said his biggest concern about the federal plan would be if it made P.E.I.'s program less effective.

"The devil's always in the details. I would hate to think that the feds would completely invent a new program that would either replace or try to be a supplement to the plan that the province has already implemented," he said.