Ontario Dental Association wants Meaningful Action from the New Premier

ODA looks forward to the new government ending the dangerous funding gap in public dental programs

The Ontario Dental Association (ODA) congratulates all new and returning MPPs elected yesterday. Now with a new majority government, it’s time to get down to work and get kids from low-income families the care they need.

Since February, the ODA has been publicly sounding the alarm about the critical funding gap in government-run dental programs, specifically, the Healthy Smiles Ontario (HSO) program. Dentists across the province currently treat about 200,000 kids under HSO but more needs to be done to ensure all 500,000 eligible children and youth get regular treatment.

Newly minted ODA President Dr. David Stevenson says, “I’m happy to meet with Premier-elect Ford and his team to discuss how the province can address the chronic funding shortage in already existing public dental care programs. Before any new programs are created, the right thing to do now is fund current programs properly so Ontarians get quality dental care.”

It’s been more than a decade since the ODA first asked the government to help create long-term funding solutions to ensure children from low-income families get quality dental care in their communities. Now is the time for Ontario’s new government to take meaningful and decisive action.

About the Ontario Dental Association

The ODA has been the voluntary professional association for dentists in Ontario since 1867. Today, we represent more than 9,000, or nine in 10, dentists across the province. The ODA is Ontario’s primary source of information on oral health and the dental profession. We advocate for accessible and sustainable optimal oral health for all Ontarians by working with health-care professionals, governments, the private sector and the public. For more information on this and other helpful dental care tips, visit www.youroralhealth.ca.

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