Joignez-vous à l’Association canadienne des hygiénistes dentaires
pour faire savoir aux politiciens et aux décideurs qu’il est temps d’appuyer la santé buccodentaire des aînés!
Pour en
apprendre advantage
Tous les Canadiens doivent avoir accès à des services d’hygiène buccodentaire préventifs. Cependant, pour de nombreux Canadiens, l’accès aux soins de santé buccodentaire est grandement lié aux avantages sociaux de leur lieu de travail, s’ils ont une assurance dentaire, ou aux dépenses personnelles, s’ils en ont les moyens financiers. Pour les aînés vulnérables, les services d’hygiène buccodentaire sont souvent inabordables. Ils ne peuvent faire autrement que de se priver des soins dont ils ont besoin, ce qui les rend plus vulnérables à une mauvaise santé buccodentaire et globale.
En tant que prestataires de soins de santé buccodentaire primaires essentiels travaillant quotidiennement avec des adultes plus âgés et des aînés, les hygiénistes dentaires font leur part en fournissant des services de santé buccodentaire, d’éducation et de promotion de la santé. Cependant, ils ont besoin de notre appui. Participez à la campagne de l’ACHD pour que les aînés puissent avoir une meilleure santé buccodentaire. Ensemble, nous pouvons changer les choses!
Apprenez-en plus sur les efforts de défense des intérêts de l’ACHD à achd.ca/santebuccodentairepouraines
Oral health concerns cost our health care system an estimated $1 billion annually.
Canada’s universal health care system includes dental/oral health care. As a result, access to oral health and dental coverage is typically facilitated one of three ways: dental benefits provided by a person’s employer (specific plan coverage per employee per year will vary based on employer’s choice of insurance plan), eligibility coverage under a federally- or provincially-funded dental program, or out-of-pocket spending for those with the financial means.
For seniors without the income or accessibility required to access routine oral health services, the additional risk to their oral health and overall health is critical. Many older Canadians forego dental appointments and treatments because of cost alone, and issues surrounding geographical access and mobility only compound the situation.
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Highlights of Abacus Data findings from a national survey of 2,200 Canadian residents from January 7 to 12, 2022, include:
79%
identified ability to pay as a very serious/serious barrier to oral care.
72%
identified lack of government-funded programs as a very serious/serious barrier to oral care.
64%
identified restricted mobility as a very serious/serious barrier to oral care.
88%
want oral health included in national standards for long-term care (LTC).
47%
say that oral health services are non-existent or minimal.
86%
support federal government funding for preventive and basic oral health services.
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As essential primary health care providers who work with older adults every day, dental hygienists play a vital role in the delivery of oral health services, education, and health promotion. Dental hygienists fill the gaps that currently exist in oral health care services across the country by facilitating greater and more equitable access to oral health care for seniors and other vulnerable populations.
Dental hygienists across Canada are here to help
It is imperative that the Canada Dental Care Plan, the first iteration of which is set to be released at the end of this year, recognizes the specific needs of Canada’s most vulnerable populations like seniors and includes comprehensive coverage for both preventive and therapeutic services. Seniors deserve unimpeded, timely access to high-quality, preventive oral health care. Healthy smiles should last a lifetime.
