23
Volume1 Issue3
|
I
ssues and
P
eople
Older adults in Canada face financial, behavioural and
physical barriers to oral care. This final article of a 3-part
series puts forward suggestions toovercome thesebarriers.
For example, the current multi-provider system of private
dental insurance could be transformed into a universal
single-providerplan, similar to theexistingplan formedical
care,withoutmuchadditionalinvestmentfromgovernment
funds. Consolidating dental insurance under a single
providerwouldnotonlycreateequity inoral care forolder
Canadians, but would also bemore cost-efficient than the
current system in rehabilitating oral health and functions.
Other suggestions include a call for socially responsible
contributions fromthedentalprofessionstomeettheneeds
of frail people, and changes to enhanceperceptions of oral
healthas integral togeneralhealth inanagingpopulation.
This 3-part seriesof papersbegan
1
withadescriptionof theoral health
concernsof Canadians 65yearsof ageandolder, anagegroup that
will constituteabout one-quarter of theCanadianpopulationby2036.
2
Part 2of the series
3
described thefinancial, behavioural andphysical
barriers tooral care for older people, andnowPart 3 recommends that
governments anddental professionalswork together to implement
financial, socially responsibleandeducational strategies to reduce the
inequities inaccess tooral healthcare facedbyolder Canadians.
OvercomingFinancialBarriers
Canadiangovernmentshavebeen repeatedlycalledupon toassume
greater responsibility for theoral careof less advantagedcommunities.
4-7
Inour view, implementing tax incentives for dentists to treat socially
marginalizedgroups
8
wouldonly shift the inequity fromoneminority
group (older people) toanother (dentists).Moreover,webelieve that
removing the taxexemptionon theemployment-basedbenefits
8
currentlycarriedbyhalf thepopulationwouldbe inadequate to
cover thecost of oral care for theother half of thepopulation (i.e.,
thosewithout dental insurance). Other calls for public fundingof
dental care
9
might requiregovernments toallocate funds from their
budgetary reserves. However,many fear thiswould simplycompromise
other sectorsof thenation’s economy,
10
althoughdata for theperiod
1995/96 to2003/04 shows that increased spendingonhealthcare
causednodecrease in spendingon social or educational services.
11
In2009, publicandprivatedental expenditures accounted for only
The authors have no
declared financial
interests.
This article has been
peer reviewed.
ChaoShuYao
BDS,MDSProstho
Dr. Yao is a former
visiting scholar in the
faculty of dentistry
at theUniversity of
BritishColumbia,
Vancouver, BC.
She is currently in
private practice as
a prosthodontist in
Singapore.
Michael I.
MacEntee
LDS(I),FRDC(C),Dip
Prosth.(MUSC),PhD
Dr.MacEntee
is a professor of
prosthodontics and
dental geriatrics
in the faculty of
dentistry at the
University of
BritishColumbia,
Vancouver, BC.
