June 16, 2022 – Ottawa, ON: Today, Dr. Lynn Tomkins, President of the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), and Dr. Aaron Burry, CDA’s Interim CEO, participated in a round-table of oral health stakeholders organized by federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. CDA used this opportunity to highlight the historic opportunity presented by the federal government’s Budget 2022 commitment towards enhancing access to dental care, and to provide valuable input regarding the difficulties in developing long-term solutions that address the current gaps in access to dental care facing many Canadians.
“Oral health is a vital part of overall health, and we believe that all Canadians have a right to good oral health,” said Dr. Tomkins. “While we fully support efforts by all levels of government to improve Canadians’ oral health, we’re concerned that the timeline previously announced may be exceedingly ambitious given the complexity of this issue.”
This morning’s release of a new costing note by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) underscores the complexity of dental care programs, and the challenges facing the federal government in its approach on this file.
“It will be vital for the federal government to work closely with all relevant partners on the implementation of any new dental care proposals. CDA looks forward to collaborating over the coming months to develop an approach that will help narrow the gaps in access to dental care for our underserved populations, while minimizing disruptions for the majority of Canadians who already have dental coverage,” added Dr. Tomkins.
About the Canadian Dental Association
The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) is the national voice for dentistry dedicated to the promotion of optimal oral health, an essential component of general health, and to the advancement and leadership of a unified profession. CDA, a non-regulatory authority, is a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization whose corporate members are Canada's provincial and territorial dental associations (PTDAs). CDA represents over 21,000 practising dentists from coast to coast to coast.
Media Contact:
Zelda Burt
Head of Communications
Canadian Dental Association
613-523-7963
media@cda-adc.ca
