Ottawa Valley dentists applaud new national dental care plan for children
As of Thursday, eligible Canadians can apply for funding for the first federal dental care program.
The Canada Dental Benefit will be offered to children 12 and under in families that do not have private dental insurance, and have an annual income of less than $90,000.
Depending on income and circumstances, the program could see parents claim $260 to $650 per child, per year tax free.
"It's a great benefit and the dentists are very excited about it because it gives us the ability to see patients," says Lisa Bentley, president of the Ontario Dental Association.
"There's not any limitations on what services we can provide for patients."
At Dentistry at Arnprior, owner and dentist Neeraj Bansal says just five to seven per cent of his clients are children 12 and under.
"Families will come and say we just don't have the money to afford it," Bansal tells CTV News Ottawa. "We see children with so many cavities."
It is recommended you visit the dentist twice a year. Bansal says this benefit should cover the full cost of a routine appointment.
"It would cover a good cleaning for a year, fluoride application, and maybe a couple of fillings."
"There are 30 per cent of Ontarians that don't have access to dental coverage," says Bentley. "And these are the people that we hope this plan will focus on and help."
Canadians can apply for the benefit online through the Canada Revenue Agency's "My Account" portal or through their Service Canada account. The CRA has also set up a phone line to receive dental applications. More details can be found here.
The federal government says the new national benefit is expected to help half a million Canadian children receive dental care.
"There's a lot of changes that happen from three years to 12 years," says Bansal, on the importance of regular dentist visits. "There are a lot of baby teeth they will loose and new teeth are coming in."
The Canada Dental Benefit is seen as unexpected relief by patients and practitioners, as every day living costs soar, leaving expenses like dental appointments as unaffordable luxuries.
"We actually kind of never anticipated that this was going to happen," added Bansal.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
It could take years to catch up on child vaccinations in Ontario post-pandemic
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.