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Featured news in dentistry
CTV News
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Long wait-times and not enough dentists: Rollout of new dental plan far from painless
Hannah Rudderham | CBC News | Published May 16, 2024 12:13 pm. EDT
A new $13-billion national dental plan that launched this month has had a rocky start, including a slow uptake by dentists.
In New Brunswick, Dr. Terry Shaw, has signed on to offer his services under the plan. He’s a Perth Andover dentist, who, at 77, says he loves his work.
Shaw said he especially connects with his older patients — the group the new plan is targeted toward.
“I’m in a rural area in Perth Andover and we have a lot of seniors here in the area, and a lot of them are living on fixed incomes — $10,000 to $12,000 pensions — and, you know, dentistry is just out of the picture for them, price-wise,” said Shaw.
“It’s nice when you can look at somebody’s mouth and examine it and not have that limitation of finances looking over your head.”
However in some of the province’s larger cities, Shaw says, such as Fredericton and Saint John, appointments are being “booked into September, December for fillings, and everything is just crazy busy.”
CTV News
This is how many dentists have actually signed up for Canada’s new free dental program
Pat Foran | CTV News Toronto Consumer Alert Video journalist | Published April 30, 2024 6:00 a.m. EDT
A new Canadian dental care program is offering the hope of free care to millions, but while 1.7 million people have signed up for the plan, only about 5,000 dentists have done the same.
“I just assumed my dentist would enroll. Why wouldn’t he enroll?” Alexandra Morton told CTV News Toronto.
“The benefits sound great, but why does it have to be with a participating provider? Why can’t it be with my own dentist?”
However, some associations representing dentists have concerns about the plan’s terms and conditions and claim too many details haven’t been worked out.
“We haven’t seen the details yet, and as we know the devil is in the details,” Dr. Brock Nicolucci, President of the Ontario Dental Association(opens in a new tab), said in an interview on Monday.
Dentists also have concerns about added paperwork, the fee structure, and the plan’s terms and conditions, Nicolucci said.
“We are trying to work this out with the federal government, but again these are concerns that we have raised and we are still not there yet,” he said. Read more…
Global News
Canada’s health minister met with dentists on Thursday to address concerns about the Canadian Dental Care Plan as the Alberta Dental Association questioned whether enough dentists will sign up to deliver care when the plan starts for seniors in May.
Eligible seniors will be able to access oral health-care treatment through the plan (CDCP) as early as May, with applications having been open since December for those 87 and above, and to additional age groups in the months since. As of this month, those 70 and older are eligible to apply, with those 65 to 69 able to sign up come May.
Dr. Jenny Doerksen, president of the Alberta Dental Association says Ottawa still has not provided enough details.
She met with the federal health minister on Thursday, along with representatives of dental associations from across the country.
“Why are you putting up barriers by introducing the concept of registration and contracts with unknown terms and conditions? We didn’t get a very clear answer to that,” Doerksen said. Read more…
CBC Listen
The surprising connection between oral health and general wellness
Sameer Chhabra | CBC Radio · Posted: Apr 15, 2024 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: April 15
Bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause problems in other parts of the body, says dentist Amanda Morel.Toronto dentist Dr. Amanda Morel understands the direct connection between good oral hygiene and overall health and wellness.
As the founder and director of Fill the Gap Dental Outreach, a charity that provides volunteer oral care to low-income patients who can’t otherwise afford dentistry, Morel regularly sees the way that poor oral hygiene can harm the body’s overall health.
“Sometimes we’re dealing with patients that have never been really taught how to brush their teeth, how to use floss or anything like that, so inevitably, the bacterial load in their mouth is going to be very high,” she said.
“There’s going to be bacteria that could potentially get into the bloodstream and cause problems in different areas, different organs of the body.”
Oral hygiene doesn’t just translate into a more attractive smile. Dental experts say that healthy mouths are a sign of overall health, with some evidence suggesting that cavities, gum disease and even bad breath can mean trouble for the rest of the body.
Gum disease-related bacteria tied to colorectal cancer
NIH Research Matters | April 2, 2024
Colorectal cancer—cancer of the colon and rectum—is the fourth most common cancer nationwide. Although overall rates have been steadily falling due to better screening techniques, rates of colorectal cancer in young adults are on the rise. Researchers have been working hard to understand the causes.
A bacteria implicated in gum disease, Fusobacterium nucleatum, has also been found in some colorectal cancer tumors. F. nucleatum is rarely seen in the guts of healthy people. Colorectal tumors harboring these bacteria are associated with more cancer recurrence and worse patient outcomes than tumors without them. However, it’s unclear how much of a role, if any, the bacteria play in causing the tumors to grow.F. nucleatum is normally found in low levels in the mouth but can flourish and, along with other microbes, trigger inflammation to cause gum, or periodontal, disease. Over time, this inflammation can lead to destruction of the bone and tissues that support the teeth, resulting in tooth loss.
Studies over the years have pointed to a relationship between periodontal disease and other conditions throughout the body, including those of the heart, kidneys, autoimmune diseases, and even some cancers. However, in most cases scientists still don’t entirely understand the degree of involvement, if any, that periodontal disease has in causing these conditions. Read more…
How Our Volunteers Change Lives
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Volunteer With Us
Our volunteers have expressed a great sense of satisfaction and fulfillment from being able to use their valuable skills to help others when they are most in need. It is also a great way to network with other colleagues and learn from one another.
We welcome volunteer dentists and hygienists from all stages of their careers.
Did you know the CDCP...
- Does not replace employer benefits and is not a free dental care plan.
- Restricts how often a dentist can perform certain treatments.
- Is not accepted by all dentists. While over 75% of oral health providers participate as of August 2024, patients are still advised to ask ahead of time about an office's policy on the CDCP.
- Does not cover working low-income Canadians who do not file with the CRA, Students, Refugees, Work-Permit Holders, or undocumented people.
- Could leave patients with significant, unexpected copays.
While the introduction of the CDCP represents a commendable effort in enhancing dental care accessibility, it is essential to acknowledge its limitations in the interest of meaningful change.
Many individuals will still fall through the cracks, as the CDCP does not cover several vulnerable populations, including working low-income Canadians who do not file with the CRA, refugees, students, undocumented individuals, work-permit holders, and many temporary residents.
These groups will remain in critical need of care delivered by Filling the Gap Dental Outreach. By focusing our resources on those left behind, we can achieve better outcomes. Our organization plays a critical role in supporting these individuals, offering care that can transform lives and improve overall well-being for those with nowhere else to turn.