Tooth issues can cause life-threatening conditions, advocates say, as feds move on dental care

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If the Liberal-NDP agreement to create a national dental care program for low-income Canadians becomes a reality in the years ahead, advocates and health-care workers say it could help prevent dental health issues from spiraling into life-threatening conditions — and keep more people from resorting to hospital emergency rooms.

Millions of families with annual incomes of less than $90,000 and no dental insurance could be eligible for coverage under the proposed, phased-in program, which is just one element of the new two-party "supply-and-confidence" agreement that could see the Liberals stay in power until 2025 in exchange for action on several NDP priorities.

The NDP previously promised the program would cover a slate of services, including exams, cleanings, X-rays, filings, root canals and crowns.

"I think that this will be the beginning of a lot of change to ensure that we now see oral health as part of our health, which it clearly is," said Joan Rush, a Vancouver-based advocate for people with disabilities.

Statistics Canada data shows roughly two-thirds of Canadians have dental insurance to cover all or part of their expenses — but that leaves a third of the country paying out of pocket for pricey dental work and preventative care, including many seniors, people with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness.

That's been Colette Langdon's experience. The Barrie, Ont. resident — who uses they/them pronouns — is on disability support through the province, which doesn't cover the full range of dental care they require.

A root canal, for instance, came with a bill of a couple thousand dollars that Langdon thought would be covered, but wasn't. Their dentist wound up footing the bill, but that's usually not the case. 

"That root canal tooth? I still don't have a crown on it," Langdon said. "Because I can't pay for it."

Advocates and medical experts agree prevention is the best approach for Canadians' health, and to avoid straining the medical system.

"The bacteria that infect gums can travel all the way through the body, and actually cause heart attacks and stroke, for instance," said Jo Connelly, the executive director of Toronto's Inner City Family Health Team, who has spent more than four decades working with marginalized populations. 

"When you think about the cost of health care of people who've had strokes at an earlier age, you can imagine that alone can cause all kinds of ripple effects for the health-care system," she said.

Ottawa resident Shane Mckenzie knows too well how a simple dental issue can turn serious, requiring life-saving medical care and a lengthy hospital stay.

In the spring of 2016, while working in construction in northern Ontario, the then-31-year-old began experiencing a pain in one of his molars. Although he has dental coverage, Mckenzie wasn't near a dentist at the time, so he waited until he came back to Ottawa a month later to have the tooth pulled.