The Canadian Society for Disability and Oral Health (CSDH) made a submission to Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos this Spring, pointing out multiple issues related to access to dental care for people with disabilities.
According to CBC News, they pointed out “a lack of mandatory disability-specific training for dental professionals; physical accessibility barriers in clinics; fee structures for dentists that don’t take into account the extra time necessary to treat someone with complex needs; and long wait lists for people who require general anesthesia for all treatments.”
Dr. Heather Carr, president of the Canadian Dental Association, chimed in to acknowledge the gaps in access to dental care and shares that it’s the hope of the CDA that the federal government’s promised $250 million fund for oral health access will help fill those gaps.
