Bridging the Gaps- Systemic Oral Healthcare Discrepancies in Canada


Cindy Sinclair, University of Toronto; Shefali Chaturvedi, Rajasthan Dental College and Hospital; Samiksha Krishna Puppalwar, Fanshawe College

Canada, a welcoming country for many be it engineers, artists, accountant or healthcare professionals. The mass immigration witnessed in the last few years is unlike anything that has been recorded in the history of this alluringly scenic country. As an immigrant the picture painted is vaguely different to what it really is. Friendly people, diverse culture, beautiful summers and catastrophic winter storms, all surpassed the expectations, but one thing that is a bit dispiriting, is the limited opportunities for foreign trained healthcare professionals. Currently, Canada welcomes around 500,000 new immigrants, one of the highest rates per population of any country in the world. Apart from employment and housing, healthcare is a significant challenge faced by most immigrants. As a key component of overall health and quality of life, oral health is recognized globally as a basic human right. However, it is observed in numerous studies that oral health needs of immigrants have been largely unmet. The misuse of the Healthcare system is another reason impacting Healthcare equity. One of the most significant reasons for this is the surge in mental health disorders and homelessness. The crosslink between the two is also a major concern and a projection towards change in dynamics of handling the system overall. Lack of jobs and inflated living expenses has led to the rise of unsheltered population in the country, hence leading to more neglected individuals devoid of necessary care. Access to care is a multidimensional concept that has often been defined as the ability to obtain needed health care. Cost barriers, lack of dental insurance, language, and cultural barriers might be predictors of limited access to dental care among immigrants. However, a publicly funded healthcare system which excludes Dental care where in 90% cost of oral health care is privately funded while only 10% is publicly funded is the largest contributing factor. Investments by the Federal government into Dental services for high-risk groups have failed to resolve pervasive oral health disparities among Canadians. Furthermore, based on current enrolment levels, with less than 500 Dentist graduating annually Canadian Dental schools may not be graduating enough Dentists to meet future needs. Immigration Canada invites internationally trained dentists as permanent residents to fill in this gap, however, the path laid down to become a licensed Dentist is financially burdensome, extremely rigorous, mentally and emotionally taxing and an embarrassment for the candidates. With passing rate as low as of 22-24%, it defeats the very purpose of inviting Foreign Trained Dentists to the country. The pandemic made us reflect on the current Healthcare system, where the ratio of Healthcare professional to patient was significantly low. Evidently, the Dental Healthcare System might not be well equipped to handle the massive influx of new Canadians that would be in-dire need of care. Through this presentation, we outline how addressing disparities in Canadian Dental care will require the engagement of Dentist on multiple levels of care, negotiation with both Dentists and Policymakers, along with sustained oral health data collection to develop provincial and national decision-making strategies. Only then equity-focused climate of Oral Healthcare in Canada can be achieved.

This paper will be presented at the following session: