The Ontario Dental Association (ODA) has launched an awareness campaign regarding what it describes as a "dangerous funding gap" in public dental care.
According to the ODA, dentists across the province currently treat about 200,000 kids under the government's Healthy Smiles Ontario program, but it wants to increase the number to 500,000.
Healthy Smiles provides free dental care for qualifying children 17 years old and under.
Children are automatically enrolled if they or their family receive Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support payments, or if they receive help through Temporary Care Assistance or Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities.
Parents may apply for coverage for their children if the household income meets a threshold:
Number of Children Family Net Income
1 $22,760 or lower
2 $24,482 or lower
3 $26,205 or lower
4 $27,927 or lower
5 $29,650 or lower
The dentists' group maintains that Healthy Smiles needs more money, because funding has not changed to keep up with demand ever since the province took over the administration of dental care for at-risk groups.
The ODA says dental pain is the second-most common reason that kids miss school.
