Provincial public oral health programs

Most public oral health programs fall under provincial/territorial jurisdiction. These include programs administered at the regional and municipal level, as well as through universities. While certain services are covered by public insurance, many of these oral health care services are delivered by allied oral health care professionals, such as dental hygienists and dental therapists.

Public oral health programs at the provincial/territorial level include:

• Surgical-dental services requiring hospitalization or associated with a congenital anomaly or medical need,
• Social assistance recipients and their dependents,
• Targeted child and adult populations (e.g., low-income families),
• Targeted disabled and institutionalized populations (e.g., those in long-term care),
• Some seniors,
• Targeted individuals with developmental disabilities,
• Provincial prisons.

Meanwhile, health regions and municipalities provide programs for the following:

• Social assistance recipients and their dependents,
• Targeted child and adult populations (e.g., low-income families),
• Targeted disabled and institutionalized populations (e.g., those in long-term care).

Universities and social welfare groups deliver care to a variety of vulnerable populations through their clinics, usually with discounted fees.

There is no 'one-size-fits-all' remedy for oral health for vulnerable groups across Canada. While different models are required based on the circumstances in each region, the CDA and organized dentistry believe that creating new minimum mandatory standards for Canadian dental public health programs and providing sufficient resources to meet these standards is an overarching goal.