Fillings and root canal

Age 24

I’m an immigrant and I moved to Canada when I was young. My dad’s job never had dental coverage. I went to the dentist 3 years ago and I needed a filling in every single tooth. My teeth are now very weak because of it. I only started getting coverage as a student and I have to co-pay for these services. I need a root canal but have to pay an extra $1,000 for it because I have used up the amount covered by my plan.

Janete Fois’ story

White female, age 57

I am a retired nurse. I am also a Diabetic. I need my teeth cleared at least two times a year. Even with my extended coverage, I still have to pay $45.00 from my pocket to have my teeth cleansed!

George’s story

White and Native male, age 39

I had a small tooth that was pushing against my other teeth and I had to borrow money from my parents and pay a lot to have it pulled out. I’ve had a chipped tooth that was fixed when I was 10 years old, but it was broken again and has not been fixed because I couldn’t afford it; it doesn’t make a good impression at job interviews. I haven’t seen the dentist in about 20 years. I’d love to have free dental care.

Stu’s story

White male, age 24

I go to get a checkup once a year because it is the minimum. I have coverage but it is not enough for everything I need to get done. It is recommended to go to the dentist twice a year but I can’t.

Nancy’s story

Chinese female, age 60

Before my husband’s work provided health insurance, and we went to the dentist twice a year. But after he passed away, we couldn’t go as often, sometimes not even once a year. I used to have a friend who is a dentist and my family went to his clinic because he gave us discounted rates. But when he started charging us regular rates again, we stopped going. Now, when I visit China, I always get my dental work done there because it’s cheaper. The dentist says my teeth are in good condition. Of course it would be be better if we didn’t have to pay for dental care. But not if we have to pay higher taxes to get it.

Athenaise’s story

Caucasian, age 28

Dentists and orthodontic work is very expensive and my parents sacrificed a lot to pay for these costs when I was young. I was on income assistance and my employment situation was precarious, so it was difficult to budget for dental care with my other needs. Most people I know also have difficult situations. There is a generational divide on what we expect from dental care. Even getting cleaning is very expensive. The lack of funding for health care combined with low minimum wage is central to the issue.

Alejandra López Bravo’s story

Mexican, age 33

I’ve lived in Canada for 5 years but I have never been to the dentist here because it’s too expensive. I’ve had my dental work done twice when I went back to Mexico to visit. I’ve had bad experiences with dentists who are rough with my teeth, and I walked out of a dental clinic once while I was getting dental work done because the dentist was not listening to me that I was in pain. But now I have a good dentist in Mexico. I work part time jobs in Canada and I don’t have dental coverage.

Jannie’s story

Chinese-Canadian female, age 28

When I was a child, my family had really good dental insurance from my dad’s work and I went to the dentist twice a year. After my dad passed away, we no longer had dental coverage and my mom had to pay out-of-pocket. I was getting braces at the time, but because we couldn’t finish paying for the rest, I didn’t get a retainer after my braces were removed and my teeth grew back crooked. Every time I went to the dentist, my mom always had to negotiate beforehand for the services I would get based on what we could afford. I usually didn’t get all the dental work that I needed. I had to get my wisdom teeth out, but because of the cost the dentist recommended that I go to the Children’s Hospital because it would be covered by MSP. I was put under general anaesthetic and they pulled all 4 wisdom teeth out at once. It is not necessary to put children under general anaesthetic to have wisdom teeth extracted, and it probably cost the health care system more money for hospitalization than for wisdom teeth extraction at a dental clinic with local freezing. When I was in university, I got some dental coverage through the student health plan, but it did not cover everything and I always ended up having to pay for the rest. I don’t go to the dentist as often as I should.

Shelley’s story

White female, age 23

I have the student dental coverage. It covers the basic services, but I’ve had to pay thousands of dollars for dental care. I’ve had root canals and cap replacements and it costs $1,300 each for just the cap replacements. I’ve had them done twice and had to pay out of pocket. My husband needs to get his wisdom teeth out and it will cost a lot. The good thing is that my son is younger than 5 and he is covered, but not my older son. I’m worried about the dental costs as they grow up.

Mina’s story

Indian female, age 18

My parents aren’t covered by dental insurance. I go once a year but I have to pay extra because it’s not all covered. Lots of people are getting braces now so it should be covered as well.