The Canadian Dental Association read with interest your Oct. 12, 2018, article titled, A look at the drivers for curbing rising dental costs.
The CDA and every provincial dental association in Canada are concerned with the cost of dentistry. Each year, provincial dental associations develop fee guides that balance the cost of care with dental fees, knowing that many people have dental insurance, but approximately 40 per cent of the population do not. Both groups (i.e., insured and non-insured) want to maintain their oral health and both groups are taken into consideration when fee guides are developed.
Read: A look at the drivers for curbing rising dental costs
Although dental fees are often compared to the rate of inflation, a more relevant comparison is the increase in the cost of delivering health care. Dental clinics are mini-hospitals with highly skilled staff that deserve fair compensation for their work. The costs associated with building and maintaining these mini-hospitals is increasing at a higher rate than inflation, along with more regulation and human resources requirements.
Of all health-care professions, dentistry has been a leader in preventive care and can point to numerous studies that demonstrate Canadians are keeping their teeth longer and hence require ongoing care to maintain their dentition. Dentists are health-care professionals who are focused solely on the well-being of their patients.
Oral health is an integral part of one’s overall health. There is increasing evidence of relationships between oral health and various medical conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. The positive health outcomes from increased utilization of dental services should be applauded, and effective dental benefits plans are a part of these outcomes.
Dental networks are not the answer to reducing dental fees. To protect the public, Canadians need to maintain their right to choose and access treatment from their own preferred dentists and specialists. The savings from networks are driven by limiting the choice of providers (including specialists) and of treatment services offered to the patient.
The CDA promotes educating the public on optimal oral health care, and such information is available on the CDA and provincial dental associations’ websites. We encourage all plan sponsors and insurers to promote oral health measures that will improve a person’s oral health and overall health.
The CDA also meets regularly with the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association to address various dental insurance issues and we will continue to be available for these discussions, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the oral health and overall health of Canadians.
Dr. Michel Taillon is the president of the Canadian Dental Association.