Canadians pride ourselves on our health-care system, especially in comparison with our neighbours to the south. But there are significant gaps in coverage. Nearly one-third of Canadians do not have dental insurance, and that number climbs to 50 per cent for lower-income Canadians. Without dental care, minor issues like cavities can result in serious infections.
Over 10 per cent of Canadians live with pain in their mouth. People visit emergency rooms for care that could be better delivered in a dental office. Canadians lose teeth that could have been saved, which makes it hard to eat nutritiously and can make it more difficult to find work.
