A new Liberal-ND “supply and confidence” deal will lead the New Democrats to support the minority Liberal government for a vote of confidence by 2025 in exchange for action on many NDP priorities, including a federal dental program.
“It is a matter of dignity,” NDP leader Jagmit Singh said on Tuesday. “This will make a huge difference to people’s health and quality of life.”
Bruce Ward is a dentist who has worked in clinics in Downtown Eastside and said he is surprised but happy to see oral health take precedence.
“In recent years, there has been a lot of evidence linking oral health to overall health and it is wonderful that people are suddenly starting to realize this,” he told the early CBC edition.
He estimates that 35 percent of people in the county do not have financial assistance for dental care and when faced with a dental emergency they have to go to a hospital and it is a really difficult situation.
Ward says dentists have been advocating for years to get people covered before emergencies.
“Which is really valuable, especially in the last two years with the advent of COVID and there was no room for these people in the clinic,” he said.
Advocates estimate that 35 per cent of British Colombians do not have the financial support to be able to afford dental care. (Elaine Thompson / The Associated Press)
Victoria Sheenagh McMahon said that as a self-employed person and as a mother she found it difficult to pay for dental care.
“I would give up appointments at the dentist for myself to have them for my daughter,” he said.
He is also concerned about focusing on employer programs – insurance obtained through third parties, such as Green Shield or Blue Cross.
“We all know that employment is really fragile, I mean you may be working now, but you may not be working in a month from now,” he said.
Michel Breau, head of advocacy and governance at the Canadian Dental Association, said he was also surprised by the announcement because he would like to see the federal government invest in provincial programs already in place for low-income people.
“These programs are quite underfunded. They are funded almost exclusively by provincial and territorial governments, and the federal government does not really contribute to their operation,” he said.
He said he was still looking forward to working with the government to make sure he could find the most “effective” way to treat Canada’s oral health.
Back in Downtown Eastside, Ward said a staff of dentists, hygienists and volunteer assistants help people who experience pain on a regular basis.
“They are a wonderful group of people to deal with. They are extremely grateful and they are extremely grateful and they really do their job in these clinics just fine.”
“It’s really amazing to watch it and it can happen very quickly with very little treatment, so it’s mainly an area where people who would normally have trouble accessing dental care are provided and provided in a way that they can afford or can afford. “
