e-4497 (Employment and labour)

Dental care is an integral part of overall health. Unfortunately, far too many Canadians have little access to dental care for a number of reasons, including costs of accessing care and healthcare personnel shortages.

The Government of Canada is committed to improving access by decreasing dental care costs. On December 1, 2022, we launched the Canada Dental Benefit, which provides direct payments to eligible applicants of up to $650 per child under 12 years of age and up to $1,300 over two years. To date, close to 395,000 Canadian children have benefited from the Canada Dental Benefit.

Efforts are also underway to expand dental care to other population groups through the long-term Canadian Dental Care Plan and its complementary Oral Health Access Fund. Budget 2023 announced $13.1 billion over five years, and $4.4 billion ongoing for the Plan, enabling all eligible Canadians with family incomes under $90,000 to access dental care, with no co-pays for those earning under $70,000. The Oral Health Access Fund will provide targeted investments to address oral health gaps among vulnerable populations and reduce barriers to accessing care, including in rural and remote communities. All of these measures are crucial steps to increasing access to dental care and improving the oral health of all Canadians.

With regards to improving access through addressing healthcare personnel shortages in the dental care sector, the Federal Government has a more limited role due to jurisdictional issues. Section 4(1) of the Department of Health Act sets out the powers and authorities of the Minister of Health, which do not extend to matters assigned by law to other departments, boards or agencies of the Government of Canada. 

The National Dental Examining Board of Canada is a federally incorporated board enacted through the Parliament of Canada that does not report to any federal entity, given that its jurisdiction over licensing and the practice of medical professionals is under provincial and territorial jurisdiction. As such, we are not in a position to direct the National Dental Examination Board of Canada, and would encourage the petition writers to write directly to the National Dental Examination Board of Canada with their concerns. They can be reached by email at info@ndeb-bned.ca or by phone at 613-236-5912.