Dental Benefits and Coverage from Employers Many of those surveyed (62%) have some kind of dental insurance and this number is higher among parents of children under age 12 (71%). The vast majority (84%) co-pay less than 40% of the average dental fee for basic dental care they receive. “About 3 in 10 (28%) have a health spending account as part of their dental benefits and this is more likely among those working for larger companies,” explains Papadopoulos. “And half of them (50%) say this account has more value than just regular dental benefits.” Most Canadians say their workplace dental benefit plans have stayed the same in the past few months or are expected to stay the same in the upcoming year. But 10% cited some loss of benefits or other signals from their employers about future changes to coverage related to the federal dental benefit. Although 7% of working Canadians mention the possibility of a decrease or decline in dental benefits specifically related to the upcoming federal dental plan, two-thirds don’t feel any difference in their coverage and say they would still be able to afford dental care if they lost coverage (66%). Among those who co-pay for their dental insurance, a large majority (88%) declare being currently able to afford dental care, at a similar level as what we saw in the fall. Cost-of-Living Concerns As inflation and the cost-of-living increases, some Canadians find themselves cutting back on healthy foods and activities. About one-third have been going to the dentist less often than they normally do in the last few years, and 29% say they haven’t been going at all. “Among this group, half say this is due to the current economic climate,” says Papadopoulos. Only a small segment (9%) reported that the type of dental treatment they are seeking out has changed due to the economic climate. But about one-third (31%) say they are currently restricting themselves to only dental treatments that are covered by dental benefits or their insurance coverage. Comfort Level withVisiting a Dentist After reaching an historical low point in November 2020, patients’ comfort level visiting a dentist is getting back to prepandemic levels. About half of parents in the eligibility group regularly visit the dentist with their children, and about two-thirds (61%) of all Canadians say they have a dentist that they visit on a regular basis. This compares to the one-quarter (26%) that do not have a dentist that they see regularly or have not been to in a while. David Colletto, CEO of Abacus Data, discusses Wave 13 survey results on CDA Oasis: bit.ly/3BcWf28 The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 1.63%, 19 times out of 20. The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding. 11 Issue 3 | 2023 |
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