Albertans face a 4.4% increase to dental fees

Most of us know that diet and exercise play an important role in maintaining good health and well-being, but did you know that a healthy mouth also plays an important part?

Poor oral health can affect a person's quality of life and oral pain, missing teeth or oral infections can influence the way a person speaks, eats, feels about themselves and socializes. For many of us, the easy solution and best prevention method is to maintain good oral health through regular dental visits. Yet, for low-income earners in Calgary — even those with insurance —regular dental visits and procedures can be out of reach.

In December 2019, the Alberta Dental Association and College, which registers and regulates dental services, released its fee guide for 2020, which included a 4.4 per cent increase from 2019. For CUPS clients and vulnerable Calgarians, this means that maintaining good health has now become even more challenging.

“Every day, CUPS sees clients who are struggling with their dental health. In Alberta, where patients pay more for dental care than elsewhere in Canada, the impending 4.4% increase to the Alberta Dental Fee Guide will be very impactful for low-income earners in our community,” says CUPS Dental Services Manager, Anna Waller. “For those who are paying for dental care out of pocket, or those on things like Seniors Health Benefits, and even those who have limited private coverage, the dollars all add up.”

CUPS is already seeing many mouths in our clinic that are in rough shape. After years of missing dental check ups, many people end up with a mouth full decaying or missing teeth, bad breath, gum disease, pain, infection or ill-fitting dentures. For some, their teeth may even be beyond restoration. Oftentimes, when we see clients with dental challenges such as these, we also see a loss of self-worth, confidence and even the ability to concentrate. It can wreak havoc on one's life. Sadly, it’s not uncommon for clients to report that they don’t sleep or eat well because of their teeth. Many of them avoid smiling. What’s worse, as a result of their bad teeth, they often find it challenging to improve their job situation or get a job at all. As we all know, Alberta has been hit hard by the economic downturn, and an increase in the cost for dental care that is so integral to a person’s ability to build their resilience is hard to swallow.

Learn more about this issue in this recent article on Global Calgary. For low-income earners and Calgary residents with no regular dentist, CUPS offers free dentist care through our CUPS Dental Services program. Clients can visit CUPS for: