Canada invests in oral health access projects

The Canadian Dental Care Plan is the hitherto largest government benefit programme in Canada and is set to cost the federal government C$13 billion (€8 billion^*) over five years. An additional C$250 million has been earmarked for an accompanying oral access fund that aims to address underlying barriers to dental care. The first stream of funding under the access fund sees a total of C$35 million awarded to health training institutions over three years. The funded projects address competency gaps in the delivery of oral care to targeted populations, including Indigenous peoples, children, seniors, immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities and those living in remote areas.

During a visit to Canadore College in North Bay in December, MP Pauline Rochefort announced C$630,000 in funding for a new virtual reality training initiative in the institution’s dental hygiene programme. The project seeks to develop an immersive virtual reality educational module for dental hygiene students, enhancing training relating to the provision of care for patients with early-stage dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Local newspaper Bay Today quoted Rochefort as saying: “I was impressed with the learning environment and the attention to detail of the instructors and students of the dental hygiene program at Canadore. After touring the training facilities and speaking with the key players, I have no doubt the funding dollars will be put to good use and will only augment the learning experience and outcomes for patients.”

The access fund is supporting a diverse mix of projects that combine student training with direct service delivery, often taking oral care out of typical dental settings and into communities where access barriers are highest. For example, the University of Alberta is receiving C$2.61 million for a project designed to strengthen hands-on learning while meeting urgent needs among rural Métis communities. The initiative centres on week-long off-site clinical training blocks, delivered through mobile dental services, and additional funding is being distributed in partnership with the Métis Nation of Alberta.

In British Columbia, investments are focusing heavily on both simulation-based education and care for older adults. Vancouver Community College has been awarded C$2.53 million to build an oral health simulation laboratory using patient scenarios and extended reality tools to help students transition safely into clinical practice, and emphasis is placed on children with complex care needs. Meanwhile, the College of New Caledonia is receiving C$268,000 to purchase mobile dental hygiene units so students can provide on-site services in long-term care facilities, supporting seniors with complex medical and mobility challenges while also expanding real-world training placements.

In Ontario, one of the most service-forward initiatives is at the University of Toronto, which is receiving C$1.6 million to strengthen its Dental Public Health Emergency Clinic in downtown Toronto. The clinic provides free urgent care for non-traumatic dental conditions, including for walk-in patients and those referred via hospital emergency departments, food banks, shelters and agencies supporting people with disabilities.

Close to 6 million residents have joined The Canadian Dental Care Plan since its official launch in December 2023. Over 27,000 clinicians, denturists and dental hygienists are participating in the plan, and 3.5 million residents have received partially or fully subsidised dental treatment.

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