Poverty Awareness in York Region

Liberals trump NDP dental announcement July 10, 2007 Canadian Press


The Ontario Liberals will look at boosting funding to provide more subsidized dental care for children and low-income residents, Finance Minister Greg Sorbara said today.

The province is currently spending about $90 million on providing low-income children with dental care, he said. "But it's an area of public policy that's deserving of more attention,"

Sorbara said following a campaign-style promise by the NDP pledging an extra $100 million to subsidize dental care for children and low-income residents.

"They're (the NDP) not the first ones to comment on the need in this area... It's an area that merits further consideration as we go forward."

New Democrat Leader Howard Hampton said Ontario has the lowest spending on dental care in Canada, covering only two per cent of overall costs. Saskatchewan covers 17 per cent, and Prince Edward Island covers 12 per cent, he said. "It's time to fix this broken and unfair health system," Hampton said at a news conference this morning.

"(The funding would) provide real relief to thousands from the pain, suffering and compromised overall health of dental disease."

The NDP plan would create "community dental health teams," and funding would be increased over time to offer more service to low-income residents who don't have dental insurance, Hampton said.

It's a smart long-term investment because poor dental health can lead to heart disease, diabetes and other serious problems, he added. The free care could be delivered in community centres and in rural and remote areas that are underserved by dental professionals.

Conservative Leader John Tory said he's more in favour of moving on a $1.2-million, five-year pilot project proposed by Toronto Oral Health that would help the working poor. But Tory said he's more focused on the state of the entire health-care system.

"I don't doubt that there are many things that we could do to improve dental and other kinds of health," he said. "My main concern has been with keeping the existing health services going."