Universal public funding for dental care in Canada: problems, policies, and politics.
Homam Albaghdadi DDS, MSCH(HPE), MSc, BSc(Hons)
Canadian Health Policy, October 2020. ISSN 2562-9492 www.canadianhealthpolicy.com
ABSTRACT
This paper discusses the issue of public funding for dental care in Canada. Currently, Canada has a pluralistic mixed private and public dental insurance system. Many Canadians lack coverage for dental benefits, whether publicly or privately funded. Canadians who are eligible for publicly funded benefits receive fewer covered dental services compared to Canadians with employment based privately funded benefits. Effective dental care is associated with better health outcomes, and should be a priority for health policy makers.
AUTHOR AFFILIATIONS
Staff Dentist, Mount Sinai Hospital, Department of Dentistry; HPE Research Fellow, Women’s College Hospital, Center for Ambulatory Care Education (CACE), Lab ExCEL at The Wilson Center, University Health Network; Instructor in Dentistry – Patient Communication, Department of Dentistry, University of Toronto.
SUBMISSION DATE
September 17, 2020
PUBLICATION DATE
October 14, 2020
