Volume 9 • 2022 • Issue 3

There are already existing provincial programs that serve Canadians in need. Let’s take advantage of this existing capacity, stabilize these programs, and enhance them, rather than trying to create a brand new program run out of Ottawa. This includes seniors, children, those with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, racialized Canadians, and low- income families. We believe that the best way for the federal government to quickly increase access to dental care is to invest in the provincial and territorial programs that already exist across Canada. As most dentists know, these programs are drastically under-funded, and financed almost exclusively by provincial and territorial governments. Because of this, CDA was sceptical of the federal government’s announcement that they were looking at a large-scale, new, federal program. In many surveys, we’ve seen that roughly 75% of Canadians see a dentist regularly. About 67%, of Canadians report having dental benefits that cover all or part of their dental treatments; roughly 50% of Canadians have employer-provided dental benefits. In 2019, a total of $16.4 billion was spent on dental care in Canada, with roughly 94% coming from the private sector. This works out to $437 per person. Overall, this accounts for 6.4% of Canada’s overall health care expenses. We know that gaps still exist, and we’re glad that the federal government is looking to increase its role in helping to fill those gaps. We are hoping to collaborate closely with Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, his federal colleagues, and his provincial and territorial counterparts to develop an approach to ensure that this investment is effective in reaching those people who are currently underserved without interrupting the dental care of people who already have it. We are educating both people in government and the public about how the oral heath system works and how to build on the capacity of the roughly 16,000 dental offices in Canada. This has included conversations about staffing issues that have been exacerbated by the pandemic in many dental offices. You might have read articles on these topics, or TV and radio interview with representatives from CDA or from your province. The new federal funding is bringing better access to dental care to the attention of the Canadian public in a big way. Q Why is it better for the federal government to provide funding to provinces and territories? AB: There are already existing programs on the ground, from coast to coast to coast, that serve Canadians in need of support to improve and maintain their oral health. Let’s take advantage of this existing capacity, stabilize these programs, and enhance them, rather than trying to create a brand new program run out of Ottawa. Q What’s been going on at CDA since the initial announcement on March 22? AB: Though we represent thousands of dentists, CDA doesn’t have a large staff, so to be effective when working on a federal issue and in a short amount of time, we’ve had to be nimble and proactive. We know that the decision-makers at the federal level are also moving fast. So we are establishing an internal response team that includes a small group of senior staff, and the CDA Board of Directors has also been very active and responsive. We are working on a policy position that will allow CDA to be more precise in its advocacy efforts over the summer, and be able to produce a more formal document outlining our recommendations in the fall. We know that significant discussions are already underway within the federal government, so we are communicating our initial position on how we believe federal funding should be administered via the provinces and territories. CDA is also collaborating closely with the provincial and territorial dental associations (PTDAs). One of the keys to success is provincial and territorial advocacy, which will help shape decision-making at the federal level. Provinces and territories are our allies on this issue and it is important that provincial governments have strong relationships with both PTDAs and CDA. Together we are building an informal, staff-level working group on intergovernmental advocacy to help ensure that lines of communication remain open as we engage at the provincial and territorial level. 10 | 2022 | Issue 3 CDA atWork