I’m afraid it was his teeth that killed him. My father never believed he could afford his dental work in Canada. So, he went home to Ecuador to get it done more affordably and that may be why he is not with us anymore.
I got a postcard in the mail from a dentist nearby. It said they accept the Canadian Dental Care Plan. And it made me think.
My father got dental implants done for two lower teeth in Quito, before he died. In order to get these implants, you have to stop taking certain medications. I think he stopped taking his anti-coagulant medications, which started a cascade of catastrophic problems.
Two of his teeth that had fallen out. Losing teeth is a common thing among seniors. I’ve seen elder family members now with gap teeth. We need our teeth. What exactly are you going to do if you’re lower income and you have no dental coverage, and you lose a tooth, or two?
The Canadian Dental Care Plan was supposed to be the answer. But getting into the public plan isn’t easy. It’s not universal. It’s income based, and you have to fill out an application that requires tax filings. It’s hard to get more bureaucratic than that. And even if you get in, certain procedures are covered, others are not. Implants are not covered for example.
Although it goes mostly unspoken, teeth are very important to us. For children who get cavities, for adults whose molars break, and for seniors. And by not accepting the replacement of teeth and not covering a whole series of dental procedures, the Canadian government, seems to prefer Canadians with holes in their smiles. Or respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, all kinds of health issues caused by poor dental health.
The Canadian Dental Care Plan is not where it should be. And it’s costing Canadians. It can cost them their lives.
