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New program to assist seniors who require dental work

September 25, 2020   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Low income seniors will now have more opportunities to access dental care services following the launch of a new provincial initiative that allows for minimal cost treatments to be administered through regional public health centres. 

The Ontario Seniors Dental Capital Program has allowed the Dufferin office of the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) unit to expand its dental health clinic. The clinic now has two new dental examination and treatment rooms, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rooms aren’t yet fully operational. The program does allow seniors to visit a dentist at their regular office as part of the program.

Launched in 2019, the Ontario government is investing approximately $90 million annually to fund the program, which provides free routine dental care for eligible low-income seniors across the province.

The program is designed to reduce the number of dental-related emergency departments visits.

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health received up to $896,100 in additional base funding for the 2019-20 funding year to support the program.

“Currently we are responding to COVID,” explained Rita Isley, chief nursing officer and directory of community health at WDGPH. “People that are contacting us and have their cards, and need treatment, if we have a dentist in the community that will work according to the provincial schedule, we’re telling them to go to that dentist and we will pay them for that work. We just need them to contact us so the dentist they are going to understands the schedule.”

Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones visited the Health Unit last week to see the new examination rooms.

“Previously there would be almost no dental access (for seniors) in health care units,” Ms. Jones explained. “The program is operational, but it is operational off-site. The program is in place, so please reach out to the local health unit if you’re over 65 and need dental work.”

Ontarians aged 65 and over with an income of $19,300 or less, or couples with a combined annual income of $32,300 or less, who do not have dental benefits, will qualify for the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program.

Ontario remains committed to building healthier communities and making life more affordable for everyone, including seniors and their families, MPP Jones says. 

The dental clinic will reopen to patients once it is deemed safe with respect to COVID-19. In the meantime, public health is facilitating dental care through community dentists.

Eligible seniors can apply to the program online at http://ontario.ca/SeniorsDental, or by calling public health at 1-800-265-7293.

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