The report, Staying ahead of the curve: A unified public oral health program for Ontario?, focuses on getting publicly funded dental programs in Ontario working for all Ontarians. It underlines the fact that the current model of funding of oral health care programs through various provincial ministries and local/regional governments in Ontario is no longer sustainable and needs to be delivered more efficiently. Authors and publishers of the report are concerned that the current delivery models leave many vulnerable populations behind.
The short report was compiled from a panel on oral health at the Ontario Public Health Convention in April, 2012, which included AOHC executive director Adrianna Tetley. Joining authors from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Dentistry, the Ontario Association of Public Health Dentistry, and the Association of Public Health Agencies, Adrianna notes the patchwork of oral health programs and the lack of services for low income adults.
AOHC supports the recommendations of the report and calls for unifying the current five fragmented oral health programs, beginning with those for low income children. Income eligibility criteria for the Healthy Smiles Program need to be increased so more children can access the program. The Ministry then needs to extend publicly funded emergency dental programs to low income adults who currently have nowhere to turn but hospital emergency rooms. Public investments need to recognize oral health as essential to overall health and well-being.
A GROUP PHOTO after the panel discussion at the Ontario Public Health Convention, April 2, 2012, Toronto,Ontario. From left to right: Garry Aslanyan, Policy Manager, World Health Organization, Carlos Quiñonez,Assistant Professor and Discipline Head, Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto;Andrea Feller, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Niagara Regional Public Health Department; StephenAbrams, Chair, Dental Benefits Committee, Ontario Dental Association (ODA), Adrianna Tetley, ExecutiveDirector, Association of Ontario Health Centres (AOHC) and Member, Ontario Oral Health Coalition; PaulSharma, President, Ontario Association of Public Heath Dentistry (OAPHD) and Manger, Peel PublicHealth Department.