Change-makers are collaborators, and collaborators are empaths: Working together with the Government for your health, because we care.
Many lower income Canadians are not able to access dental care due to cost. The health and social costs associated with limited access to dental care can be a heavy burden. Social progress begins with purposeful empathy, seeing the problem and the pain, and then changing the system to meet the challenge for social justice. I salute the Federal Government for recognizing the problem in the dental health sector, and putting forth a solution in an effort to meet the challenge. The solution is called the Canadian Dental Services Plan (CDSP).
Many of our patients have been asking us about the CDSP, implemented this May. The inception was as much of a surprise to dental professionals, as it was to you. In fact, we were getting our information as you were, from the news channel, not through our professional bodies. The profession had no input or advanced knowledge of this plan as it was conceived, planned and implemented.
This bold new initiative meets a great need, felt by many low-income families. Nine million Canadians have effectively no access to the dentist. Forced to choose between food and rent, there really is no money for their dental care.
I witnessed this first hand early in my career, while I worked as a dental resident at the Montreal General Hospital. I spent my days administering antibiotics, extracting rotten teeth, draining abscesses and patching up the poor and dispossessed. The level of suffering and need for good dental care is extreme, and ignored for too long.
I understand why the government felt it necessary to launch the program with discretion. The need is obvious, but public discussion of proposed solutions for this problem may have been met with criticism and delays. However, they constructed the plan with no consultation with the dentists who will deliver most of the services, and there are considerable problems in its current form. It is now time to make the CDSP sustainable by adapting it to work in harmony with the dental professionals who will deliver the services.
Dental professionals care about the health of our fellow citizens. We understand the suffering, pain and despair that comes with limited or no access to dental healthcare. I see engagement with the Canadian Dental Services Plan as a responsibility, as an expression of our profession’s compassionate commitment to public service and as our contribution to social justice. Our professional response to this problem is to engage this public plan to expand access to basic care, to relieve suffering and to support healthful lives for all Canadians.
Although the CDSP is flawed in its current form, and in spite of the government not once consulting with dentists prior to creating and launching the plan, we are committed to making it work. Without coordination between the government and health professionals, a combination of high implementation costs, increased administrative burden and low fees, could mean operating at a loss and doom the plan to failure.
We will engage the plan now as is, working in good faith that the plan structure will be modified to better serve you, the Canadian public. We trust the government to implement changes to better integrate with existing management structures in dental offices.
Please bear with us as we are learning to navigate through this awkward structure. For us, there will be a lot of time consumed in learning the process. What procedures are covered will become clearer as we gain experience with the plan. People at the front desk may look a bit stressed, as most of the burden of implementation will be put on them.
As of June first, we are fully accepting your CDSP cards and processing claims. We welcome your access to the new Canadian Dental Services Plan and will receive your referrals of friends and loves ones as usual. If they have not had access to care previously and qualify for the plan, let them know they can get some help here.
We will receive them as they are, without judgement, as we always do. Our goal is to improve their health and affirm their pride in their smile.
Thank you all for your patience. The progress has been awkward but as you can see, for good reasons.
I look forward to seeing you all at your next visit and to serving your dental health needs.
Kindest regards,
Doug Hamilton