Liberals praise dental plan milestone, forewarn of Conservative cuts

The federal government’s national dental care program has reached a milestone by providing care to more than one million Canadians, according to new data.

Officials say more than 2.7 million residents have been approved to join the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) since its initial rollout in December 2023. The government estimates that the program is saving eligible Canadians an average of $730 on a range of oral health care services, including regular cleanings and screening for serious diseases like oral cancer.

“It’s phenomenal to see this many people connected to care,” Minister of Health Mark Holland said in an interview with Breakfast Television on Thursday morning. “In six months, a million people, that is the Scotiabank arena being filled 53 times.”

According to Holland, getting patients in front of a dentist has also helped with the early detection of conditions like cancer and diabetes.

“Those visits are preventing medical emergencies, but they’re also connecting people to the care that they need and potentially avoiding them getting very, very sick,” he added. “So it saves them money, but it saves our health system an enormous amount of money as well. “

Starting on November 1, Holland says the program will expand to include more complex cases that require pre-authorization. Some treatments will include partial dentures, crowns, and other complex conditions.

Health Canada says each request will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to see if the course of treatment meets the clinical criteria for coverage under the CDCP.

“Because it was more complicated, we needed more time for the system to get ready,” Holland said. “Well, now we’re ready.”

The minister says more than 89 per cent of oral health providers (an estimated 22,340 clinics nationwide) have signed up to provide care under the program. The government says they are now moving towards paper claims in order to enrol more providers and improve access to the plan.

In his interview with Breakfast Television, Holland was also asked about internal tensions within the Liberal Party of Canada and calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign before the next election.

“Every party’s got their divisions. Every family has their differences, right? And the question is whether or not you are democratic, and you have open conversations, or whether or not you lock it all down,” Holland explained. “I’d be very afraid of political parties that all say the same thing and never disagree. That’s not democracy. That means that nobody’s listening to anybody.”

Holland, who was first elected to parliament in 2004, said division and difference have always existed in the party, but the consensus around its values and mission to defeat the Conservatives in the next election remains strong.

“Pierre Poilievre would cancel this plan,” Holland remarked. “That means a senior who needs a pair of dentures [isn’t] going to get it.”

“We need to do the work with provinces and territories,” he added. “That’s what I’m focused on, and I have full confidence in the Prime Minister. He’s an extraordinary individual who has my full support.”

Holland dismissed other questions about Trudeau’s fate, by warning about Conservative cuts to social programs if Poilievre wins the next election.

“We are terrified of what Poilievre is going to do to this country,” Holland quipped. “The conversation that we’re having with our families and in our caucus is, what are the things that we can do to make sure that the things that we care about don’t get cut.”

“There’s too much politics going on in Ottawa, and when I talk to people, they want to hear results,” he added. “They want to see us focused on making things better.”