“Starting today, thousands and thousands of seniors will have access to free dental care,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau boasted in his speech in the House of Commons on Wednesday. However, due to a lack of interested dentists, many Canadians will not have access to these new plans any time soon.

On its first day of nationwide implementation, the new federal dental care plan has had relatively little success. According to Ottawa, there are currently 6,500 dental care providers registered in the program, representing about 20% of providers in the country.

“What the Prime Minister should have said is that there are thousands of Canadians today who had a card but may not be able to use it,” said the D. ironically.^R Carl Tremblay, President of the Association of Dental Surgeons of Quebec.

The program is very popular among Quebecers, with more than half a million people already enrolled, but it has met with very little enthusiasm among providers, as it is estimated that only about 15% of dentists in the province are currently participating.

“I know it’s not a very salesmanlike thing for a prime minister who has worked hard on such a program, but that’s still the reality. There are currently many more patients registered than patients who can actually be treated,” he laments.

Ultimately, the Canadian plan targets the nearly 9 million Canadians who do not have private insurance and are low- or middle-income, but dentists’ participation in the program is voluntary.

The D^D However, Liliane Malczewski, president of the Quebec Order of Dentists, believes it is too early to judge the success of the program. [Une participation dans les alentours de 20 %]it may seem low at first glance, but since it is a brand new program, professionals sometimes reserve a reservation before participating in it,” she argues.

The two presidents interviewed agree on the many irritating factors that prevent dentists from signing up for the new Ottawa program. For example, it will be impossible for professionals to request immediate payment and then reimburse the patient later through the insurance company.

Added to this is the administrative burden associated with the numerous admission criteria. “We have to ensure that [le client] and does not have private insurance, we have to explain the program to him and make sure he understands it well. There is still a lot of responsibility on our shoulders. It may not seem like much, but it takes a lot of time,” explains Dr.^R Tremblay.

Wrong tips

On the day the program comes into effect, the D^D Liliane Malczewski is concerned that federal politicians are touting the availability of “free” care. “The word ‘free’ is completely misleading. Working people who benefit from the program have the flexibility to charge their regular rates,” she recalls.

Ottawa has introduced a fee schedule for covered procedures, but dentists retain the freedom to charge higher prices. In many cases, the rates set by the federal government are lower than what dentists typically charge, and the patient may have to pay the difference.

“We told the federal government that it would be important to communicate this well to Canadians so as not to give the impression that it would be free or that dentists would give a discount,” warns the D^R Tremblay.

In Ottawa, the federal health ministry says it is encouraging dentists to comply with the new fee schedule but will not crack down on those who choose to continue charging higher rates and bill patients for the difference.

In an interview with The dutyLast month, Federal Minister for Public Services and Procurement Jean-Yves Duclos expressed his hope that more and more professionals would join the program over time. [Les dentistes] know that this is something that their customers are gradually demanding. Many people who have never been to the dentist will make an appointment in the next few months. “This is a new clientele that will be joining us,” he argued.

The dental plan was one of the key elements of the support and confidence agreement that Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government signed with the New Democratic Party.

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