Volume 8 • 2021 • Issue 4

Dr. Holden says, as he sees it, the goals that Davies has for access to care for vulnerable populations align in some ways with his own goals. “The majority of Canadians enjoy some of the best oral health care in the world, but there is a growing segment of society that depends largely on publicly funded dental care programs that have been chronically underfunded. We all want these existing programs to be adequately funded, helping to give these vulnerable groups access to oral health care,” says Dr. Holden. Dr. Aaron Burry, CDA’s deputy CEO, Professional Affairs, shared Dr. Sullivan’s impression that MPs seemed to be genuinely engaged in this year’s discussions. Traditionally, meetings with MPs are short; their schedules are tight. “They asked questions. They offered possible next steps,” he says. “I noticed that the meetings typically went the fully allotted time, and often longer.” “Long meetings are a rare thing, indeed, and a good sign of MP interest and engagement in the topic, and shows the benefit of using a virtual format,” says Michel Breau, CDA’s recently appointed manager of government and community relations. Further Issues for Discussion CDA representatives brought forward several key federal policy recommendations: tax incentives and grants to support dental offices in adapting to enhanced infection prevention and control guidelines; ensuring dentists have continued stable and ongoing access to reasonably priced PPE; incentivizing Canadian businesses to provide enhanced health care benefits; investing an additional $3 billion in the Canada Health Transfer for dedicatedpublic oral healthprograms; and continuing investments in providing clean drinking water to Indigenous communities. “Throughout the meetings, it was clear that the focus of federal officials continued to be responding to the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Breau. “For example, there was a receptiveness on the part of several MPs to look at ways to continue supporting dental offices in maintaining the safest possible dental care environment for patients and staff through small-business tax incentives,” he says. “It was also clear that they saw issues such as enhanced public funding for public dental care programs as things to be tackled in the long‑run, post‑pandemic.” First Virtual Edition of CDA’s Annual Advocacy Event We have strong interest and engagement from key federal officials on the short-term issues facing the dental profession as a result of the pandemic, but we also gained valuable feedback on some of our more significant proposals, enabling us to be better positioned to pursue these objectives over the long term. Top Row (L. to r.): Dr. Aaron Burry, CDA deputy CEO, Professional Affairs; Dr. Lynn Tomkins. Bottom Row: Adam van Koeverden, Liberal MP for Milton, Ontario. Top to Bottom: Dr. Lynn Tomkins; Dr. Michael Sullivan, chair of the CDA advocacy committee; Han Dong, Liberal MP for Don Valley North, Ontario.