NDP pushes feds to cover dental care costs for uninsured Canadians

Millions of Canadians can't afford to go to the dentist and the federal health critic wants Ottawa to do something about it.

The NDP tabled a private members motion Tuesday in the House of Commons, asking the federal government to establish a dental-care plan for uninsured Canadian families who have a household income of less than $90,000. 

According to the Canadian Dental Association, 32 per cent of Canadians have no dental insurance.

Don Davies, MP for Vancouver-Kingsway and the NDP's health critic, seconded the motion tabled by MP Jack Harris. 

Davies, speaking Tuesday morning on CBC's The Early Edition, said dental concerns can become costly health-care expenditures if left unchecked.

"We know that it leads to pain, serious illness, poor nutrition, mental health issues, social exclusion and even loss of jobs," he said. 

"It's linked to cardiac problems, diabetes complications, even low birth weight. And the people that are really suffering the most, I think, are the people who are most marginalized … Indigenous people, children, single parent families, young workers, women and low-income Canadians."

Davies said he has twice consulted with the parliamentary budget officer — an accountant independent of party politics — who estimated it would cost $1.5 billion to cover over six million Canadians.

Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows Canada spent about $265 billion on health care in 2019.

In the NDP 's plan, the money from Ottawa would be doled out to the provinces, who would have to agree to provide dental care and reimburse dentists who provide the coverage to qualifying residents.

"I can't see a single premier turning down money that will make the health of their citizens better," Davies said.

According to Davies, when Canada's public health-care system was established in the 1960s, dental care was part of the original vision, but there were too few dentists at the time to deliver services on a universal basis. Today, that's no longer an issue.