Even though Kim Dagenais can’t afford dental care for herself, she doesn’t have to worry about paying to keep her son’s teeth healthy.
Because of his mother’s low income, four-year-old Avery is one of nearly 152,000 B.C. children who qualifies for $1,400 worth of dental coverage every two years under a program funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
“A lot of people don’t know about it,” Dagenais said, while attending a recent free clinic for dental care in downtown Victoria. “Just talking to people, they’re really surprised when I mention it.”
Statistics from the province bear out the lack of awareness. Only 59,000 children and youth accessed the ministry program in 2011-12 — less than 40 per cent of those eligible.
The low level of uptake is “unfortunate,” said Dr. Mark Casafrancisco, president of the B.C. Society of Pediatric Dentists — whose members are the dentists of last resort for children with severe oral health problems. His staff says the vast majority of parents who qualify for the Healthy Kids program don’t realize it until they’re already in the office.
“The parents of B.C. deserve to be informed and enabled,” said Casafrancisco. He calls for money to be spent on public dental health promotion beginning at age one, whether it’s in screenings, pediatricians’ offices, schools or health clinics.
“The value of oral health is critical,” Casafrancisco said, noting that good childhood care helps predict “socio-economic success, general happiness and quality of life,” later on.
The Canadian Pediatric Society has major concerns about inadequate dental-care in children from families who are low-income, or from aboriginal or immigrant communities.
“Oral pain has devastating effects on children, including lost sleep, poor growth, behavioural problems and poor learning,” the society says in a call to action on its website.
Communication, socialization, school attendance and self-esteem are also affected.
The working poor are especially vulnerable as they seldom have dental benefits through their jobs, the society said.
The Healthy Kids program is for families who qualify for an MSP subsidy, which requires household income to be less than $30,000 per year.
In 2011-12, the province paid $18.7 million for dental care for children and youth but the percentage of families that access the Health Kids program has not changed much in seven years.
A ministry spokeswoman said the province has information campaigns in elementary and middle schools across B.C., as well as through regional health authorities and dental offices.
Some low-income parents have dental plans or can access federal benefits through agencies such as Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada, the spokeswoman noted.
One change that was made in April 2010 allows for children under 19 to access $1,400 in dental care over two years, instead of being limited to $700 of work per year.
That allows for more flexibility, especially if a lot of work is required upfront. The program covers exams, X-rays, fillings, cleanings and extractions. Orthodontic work is not covered.
Emergency dental treatment above the $1,400 is available, but only for “immediate relief of pain,” the ministry said.
Before dental services can be accessed, the dental office will require the child’s B.C. CareCard or B.C. Services Card for each appointment to confirm coverage. Not all dentists accept Healthy Kids’ patients and others impose charges above what the program will cover.
The B.C. Dental Association website lists a handful of lower-cost clinics, including Victoria’s Cool Aid Community Health Centre. To apply for MSP, call 1-800-663-7100.
To read the Canadian Pediatric Society Call to Action on dental care, go to cps.ca/documents/position/oral-health-care-for-children.
