When speaking about healthcare in Canada, we are often applauded for our free and accessible healthcare, but what is not commonly mentioned is the fact that oral health care is not free or as accessible as healthcare.
A Shocking Reality
In Canada, every part of the body, excluding the mouth is covered in healthcare. This means that Canadians must pay out of pocket, or through private insurance, in order to get the oral health care that they need. Studies conducted on those who do and do not have this coverage showed that only 70% of Canadians had access to oral healthcare, either through private health care or public assistance programs. Although 70% is better than nothing, that still leaves almost a third of Canadians without any access to oral healthcare.
How does the lack of affordable oral healthcare affect Canadians? Well, oral healthcare is linked to both your physical, mental and social well-being and lack of proper care can lead to a host of ailments that most people do not see coming.
The Link Between Oral Health & Your Daily Life
Oral healthcare is linked to your mental and social well-being, so it is important everyone have access to it. By having poor oral health care, the cosmetic aspect of your smile can be affected, which in turn leads to self-esteem issues. These self-esteem issues can then be translated into your social interactions, making it even more difficult to interact with your peers and colleagues, due to lack of confidence. It has even been proven that proper oral health care, and an aesthetically pleasing smile makes it easier to attain employment, as your confidence is naturally higher and your smile makes you more approachable.
Physical Repercussions From Lack of Oral Healthcare
Beyond the social and mental aspects, improper oral healthcare can also affect you physically and aggravate current health conditions that are already present. Due to constant inflammation from lack of care, which can worsen current health conditions. Proper dental care can also aid in diabetic control and reduce the risk of pneumonia in an aging population. For those who cannot afford dental care, but require emergent dental services, they turn to the hospitals to assist them, which then causes an overload on a system that is already overworked.
Conclusion
There are multiple risk factors associated with improper oral healthcare, but it is often overlooked here in Canada, due to the optics we present. Although we provide less public dental care than both the US and the UK, we are still being applauded for providing “free healthcare”. A change in the system and importance needs to be placed on providing affordable oral healthcare to all Canadians.
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