I'm 74, still working and can't afford new teeth. Dental care is my election issue

This First Person article is the experience of Gale Uhlmann, a superintendent in Stirling, Ont. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.

Most people assume I wear a mask to places like the gas station, the bank and the grocery store because of COVID. But for me, it's something far more personal. Something I am too ashamed to reveal.

I wear it to hide the fact that I have no teeth.

I will turn 75 this July, and I'm still working — not by choice, but by necessity. Despite dedicating over 60 years of my life to the workforce, my pension is not enough for me to survive. But financial hardship is only part of my struggle. In December, I got the devastating news that I needed to have all my teeth removed. 

The pain of losing my teeth was difficult enough, but what followed was even worse.

I believed the new Canadian Dental Care Plan would cover most of the cost. A few weeks later, I learned I was being denied my claim. The reason? I don't qualify for assistance because I have health insurance through my job.

• Canada's dental care plan begins today. Here's what you need to know
• More than 1 million Canadians have now received dental care under new national insurance plan

That leaves me stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

Much of my career was spent working different jobs, including driving a truck in the U.S. I receive a reduced monthly amount from the Canada Pension Plan, and I don't have a lot of savings to rely on.

My husband recently passed away, and while I have children, I refuse to become a burden. I have always been independent. As a mother, my role has been to take care of them, not the other way around.

People often ask why I still work. The answer is simple: the rising cost of living leaves me no other option. Groceries, rent, and basic necessities have skyrocketed, and without my job as a superintendent in an apartment building, I have no idea where I would live or how I would even be able to afford the rent.

The dental insurance my employer provides is minimal — just 60 per cent of a $750 maximum for all my benefits per year.

My first bill alone for extractions was $5,400. After that, I need an additional nearly $4,000 for dentures.

The cruellest irony? If I were fully retired, had no private dental insurance, and made up to $90,000 a year, my procedure would have been covered. But because I work — because I am trying to survive and contribute to looking after the community of the buildings and the occupants I take care of — I receive nothing. That is a disgrace.  

• A 'hopeless' feeling: Struggling seniors face sky-high rents and few, if any, options

• Advocates call for tax breaks for single seniors as cost of living rises

Since Jan. 4, I have been toothless, unable to eat solid food, surviving on soup, and avoiding social gatherings out of embarrassment. I had to rely on a line of credit just to eat and to pay for the dentures. I endured the excruciating pain of having my teeth removed, only to face the humiliation of living without them for months.

I have shared my story with other seniors, and they were appalled that my dental expenses were not covered. One friend was so convinced there must have been a mistake that they urged me to call the program administrators and clarify. I only wish they were right — that this was simply an error.

Despite sending outraged letters from myself and my sister to the Prime Minister, the Health Minister and others, I remain ineligible for this coverage.

I have worked my entire life, yet I am left struggling to afford basic healthcare. No senior should have to endure what I have been through. This is why seniors' dental care must be on the federal election agenda and our government must do better.

I want to vote for a federal party that supports and plans to expand the dental care program. Even though the Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he will keep the federal dental care program, I don't know if that promise is genuine, since his party has openly criticized the dental plan previously. He's also not committed to expanding dental coverage to seniors like myself who don't have coverage.

WATCH | NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says Poilievre is just playing politics on the election campaign: 

Singh says Poilievre is lying about keeping dental care

8 days ago

Duration 0:56

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh took aim at Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, saying Poilievre's comments that he would keep programs like dental care and pharmacare were lies — pointing to the Conservative leader voting against the legislation. He said Poilievre is just playing politics 'on the eve of an election.'

My sister and her husband recently visited and brought me my favourite crispy egg rolls from Ottawa.

I froze them, waiting for a day that's felt painfully far away — when I can finally enjoy them again. 

What's the one issue that matters the most to you in this federal election? CBC News will publish a range of perspectives from voters who share the personal experience shaping their choice at the ballot box. Read more First Person columns related to the election here.

Do you have a compelling personal story that can bring understanding or help others? We want to hear from you. Send your story ottawafirstperson@cbc.ca.