A 2-month wait to repair his 2 front teeth: The problem with a Ontario seniors dental program

A 73-year-old Windsorite is disturbed he competence remove some of his teeth while he waits to be seen by a government-funded dentist.

The Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program (OSDCP) allows low-income seniors to revisit a dentist for free, though a paperwork and few authorized dentists meant there’s a extensive wait. The module was announced in Jun 2019 but usually launched a focus complement during a finish of November.

For Rogers Villeford, he’s already spent 6 months with draining gums — and only final week another stuffing fell out. 

“I’ve had this for about 6 months … each day we bleed,” pronounced Villeford. “I take mouthwash and keep it in there awhile and swish it … each morning we separate out blood.” 

Villeford’s income is about $18,000 a year. He was supposed into a OSDCP, though a appointment he was given is scarcely dual months away. 

“What good are [the dentists] if we have to wait?” pronounced Villeford.

Locally a OSDCP is run by a Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. According to a executive of health promotion, dentists underneath a module started saying patients dual weeks ago. 

“Our initial comparison seen underneath a module was Jan 6,” pronounced Nicole Dupuis. 

Dupuis pronounced so distant a module has seen about 15 patients, with another 46 appointments already booked. Appointment bookings are as distant divided as March.

According to Dupuis it takes about one month between stuffing out a focus to receiving a label that gives we entrance to a program. After a label comes in, seniors can book an appointment — though a initial appointment is typically only a consultation. 

“We’ll have some-more appointment times going forward,” pronounced Dupuis. “We have had a wait list in a clinics … a month is indeed not too bad. We wish it won’t get too most longer over that time frame.”

Villeford motionless he can’t wait that long, so he done an appointment with a dentist — though he’ll have to compensate out of slot for his treatment. 

“I don’t wish to remove my dual front teeth,” pronounced Villeford, who expects to spend about $500 on a visit. “It’s a sham.”

Similar to a Healthy Smiles Ontario program, there is an puncture use that competence be accessible for people who need evident treatment. To get puncture dental care, seniors would have to fill out a form sealed by their medical provider that states they need diagnosis right away. 

Villeford said a WECHU gave him an puncture appointment for Tuesday, though it won’t embody any work like fillings. Instead it will be to residence what a health section competence cruise are some-more critical problems.

Article source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/seniors-dental-program-ontario-windsor-teeth-1.5433138?cmp=rss