GUELPH 50度灰视频� While Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) is ramping up its dental programs post-pandemic, it is struggling to find dentists to provide services for the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Plan (OSDCP).
WDGPH offers two dental programs 50度灰视频� Healthy Smiles for children and youth under 19 in low-income families, and OSDCP for low-income seniors over 65.
Healthy Smiles has three main components: dental screenings in schools, preventative services in clinics, and emergency and urgent care services for those children who qualify.
The ramp up to Healthy Smiles has been successful, with 14,545 children screened in the 2022-23 school year; 476 received services for urgent needs and 816 for non-urgent needs.
And WDGPH is bringing its fluoride varnish program back to 42 schools in the region.
This program will be offered to all junior and senior kindergarten students in those schools as well as Grade 1 and 2 in the highest risk schools.
50度灰视频淲e would love to see fluoride in all schools,50度灰视频� said Rita Isley, director of community health, chief nursing officer and author of the Feb. 7 report to the board of health.
50度灰视频淚t has significant benefits to the overall health of a child, especially for those who are struggling.50度灰视频�
50度灰视频淚t50度灰视频檚 a very low-cost program,50度灰视频� said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer, adding the program is currently funded by the municipalities and not the province.
But they both expressed concerns about the seniors50度灰视频� dental plan.
The income threshold for the seniors50度灰视频� dental program is $22,000 per year for a single, or $37,100 for a couple.
Many seniors find they are disqualified from the program if they receive a one-time government rebate or benefit that ups their income and knocks them out of eligibility.
Some 25 to 30% of local seniors in the program were disqualified in the 2022-23 year, according to the report.
50度灰视频淲e want to eliminate that,50度灰视频� Mercer said. 50度灰视频淭hese benefits should not push them over the income threshold.50度灰视频�
50度灰视频淲e50度灰视频檙e asking that those types of rebates are eliminated from the calculation,50度灰视频� Isley added.
The second problem 50度灰视频� perhaps the biggest one 50度灰视频� is that public health is having a hard time finding private-practice dentists to provide the services.
Currently, 13 dental service providers and only one oral surgeon are in the program for all of Guelph, Wellington and Dufferin.
50度灰视频淪eniors with complex medical histories and/or those with some degree of urgency are prioritized for referrals to the oral surgeon,50度灰视频� states the report.
“The oral surgeon has capacity to accept only one client every six months.”
The reason is fee codes, which don50度灰视频檛 even cover the cost of the procedure for the dentist performing it.
50度灰视频淭he fee codes 50度灰视频� are well below the rates a dentist would charge,50度灰视频� Mercer said.
50度灰视频淭his is becoming a significant barrier 50度灰视频� it50度灰视频檚 a difficult sell, asking the dentist to subsidize the program.50度灰视频�
Isley noted a dentist would charge about $4,000 for a tooth extraction and crown, while the OSDCP pays about $800 for the same procedure.
And the fee codes haven50度灰视频檛 been adjusted since 2016.
50度灰视频淭hat50度灰视频檚 the variance,50度灰视频� Isley said. 50度灰视频淭hey are losing money and paying out of pocket.50度灰视频�
50度灰视频淭his situation is not just unsustainable but ethically questionable,50度灰视频� Isley writes in the report.
50度灰视频淎ccess to appropriate dental providers is essential for the program and the clients.50度灰视频�
The recommendations that will be sent to the ministry, with the board50度灰视频檚 approval, are that:
- fee code rates for dental providers in the OSDCP be reviewed;
- government rebates be removed from income calculations for the OSDCP program; and
- the fluoride varnish program be introduced in all publicly funded schools.
