The Whole Tooth&

Nothing But The Truth

Presented to you by:The Ontario Oral Health Alliance

The Whole Truth

Presented to you_________________

Insert your coalition here

Ontario Oral Health Alliance

Geographic groups

• Hastings• Prince Edward• Kingston• Northumberland• Ottawa• Peterborough• Toronto• Haliburton• Lennox & Addington• Halton

Organizations

• VON• Public Health Units• Community Health

Centers• Long Term Care Homes• Social Services• Ontario Association for

Public Health Dentistry• Dental Professionals• General Public

Oral Health Defined “A state of the oral and related

tissues and structures that contributes positively to physical, mental and social well-being and the enjoyment of life’s possibilities, by allowing the individual to speak, eat and socialize unhindered by pain, discomfort or embarrassment”.

Canadian Dental Association – http:www.cda-adc.ca

Our Vision

A system that allows for equitable

dental care for all Ontarians

Our Collective Mission

To advocate for a continuum of oral health for everyone

Oral Health Promotion & Disease Prevention

Timely Access to Care

Strategic Actions

• Creating awareness• Educating general public• Providing limited interim access to

services (band-aid solution)• Influencing government policy to

improve access to services

Today’s Objective

To raise awareness that…

The Mouth is part of the Body!

Inequities exist in our system

Improving access to oral care

is a priority!

Background Information

• One third of residents of Ontario DO NOT see a dentist on a regular basis (Matear D, Locker D. Oral disorders, systemic health, well-being and the quality of life. Community Dental Health Services Research Unit. Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto; 2000)

• Barriers exist that prevent many people in our communities from accessing dental care

• Cost is the most common & serious barrier

Inverse Care Law

Individuals with the greatest need for

services will be those with the least

ability to pay for services.

Webb E. Children and the inverse care law. BMJ 1998; 316:1588-1591.

Inequalities in Oral Care

52% of Canadians and 60% of Ontarians have

some form of dental insuranceBUT…

Not all insurance plans are created equal

Matear D, Locker D. 2000

What Is Available For Ontario’s Children?

Dental Care for Children

Children (up to age 13*) from low-income families:

• Urgent dental treatment (Health Unit)

Children (up to age 18) who are dependents of Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program recipients:

• Basic dental treatment

What Is Available For Ontario’s Adults?

Dental Services for Adults

General Public• No government program is available

Ontario Disability Support Program recipients• Basic care

Ontario Works recipients• Discretionary coverage only that may include:

• Emergency care• Preventive care (expectant mothers)

A Serious Gap Exists for…

• Adults & Families earning minimum wage (including those with partial insurance)

• Older Adults

The problem

Unresolved dental issues lead to a host of problems:

•Physical •Psychological•Social•Economic

Affects Everyone

• Children & Youth

• Adults

• Older adults

Affect On A Child

• Pain & infection• A ‘failure to thrive’ (Matear D, Locker D.

2000)

• Negative impact on healthy development & readiness to learn

• Long term impact on school success & success in life!

Early Childhood Tooth Decay

Graphic used with permission from the Halton Region Health Unit

“For Want of a Dentist…”

“Twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver died of a toothache ...

a routine, $80 tooth extraction might have saved him”

Washington Post, Wed Feb 28, 2007

An Adult’s Story

Jason Jones:• A mouthful of decayed teeth• Unable to eat solid foods

and• Unable to find employment

Toronto Star, Feb 10, 2007

Case Study Of An Older Adult

Maureen’s story:• Fixed income• Problems chewing (eating

properly) and socializing • General health compromised

Gum Disease

The Lack of Access to Oral Treatment & Care

=An Economic Burden on

Ontario’s Society

A clear Need For Action…

“It’s expensive. But it’s expensive not to

do it”

As stated by Minister Meilleur, Ontario Minister of Community and Social Services (February 11,

2007, Toronto Star)

What’s Being Done Now?

Some Examples

• Chief Dental Officer of Health (i.e. National Survey)

• Coalitions & partnerships

• Pro–bono work (cannot rely on volunteers to fix the problem)

The Toronto Star “War on Poverty” Series

(2007)• “Why is he out of work” Feb 10 • “Reader’s respond to a man’s plight” Feb 11• “Man ‘amazed’ by dental care offers” Feb 13• “Price tag to fix smiles: $2M” Feb 22• “Health minister silent on dental care” Feb 23• “Plunged into darkness” April 28• “He has a new smile; system still in decay” June 23

Toronto Star Headlines continued…

• “Dental care should be an election issue, says coalition” July 3

• “NDP set to unveil $100M dental program” July 10• “Dental care turns into a hot vote issue” July 11• “Liberals trump NDP dental announcement” July 10• “Liberals vow $45M for low-income dental plan”

Sept 5• “Poor to get dental plan” Nov 27

Ontario Government Investment

Investment of $135 millionover three years for a Dental Program for low-income persons

Recommendations to Government

Ultimate Goal

Equitable access to oral care for all Ontarians

Small Steps Forward

Ontario Government funding is a critical first step forward

Equitable Dental Care for All

All Ontarians should have FAIR & EQUITABLE access to

PREVENTIVE DENTAL CARE & BASIC DENTAL TREATMENT

Equitable Compensation

FAIR & EQUITABLE compensation for dentists

must be addressed to facilitate FAIR & EQUITABLE access to

services

OOHAs recommendations

• Ensure ALL children have access to a basic dental program

• Offer basic dental services to priority groups one at a time:• Pregnant women• Low income individuals, seniors and

families Include coverage for children whose families have

partialinsurance but are unable to pay the uninsured portion

Alternate Models of Service Delivery

Include primary oral health care services within Ontario Community Health Centres (existing and soon to be

established)

Continued action from all levels of government is

NECESSARYto guarantee a BASIC

level of oral health for ALL

Ontarians.

The Ontario Oral Health AlliancePartners Shaping the Smiles of

Ontario

~Everyone Has The Right To A Healthy Smile ~