With Heads Firmly In Place: Universal Dental Care

Universal Dental Care In The Province Of Ontario

How do we separate dental health from general health? How can we conceptually deny the intimate connection between a healthy mouth and a healthy body, mind and spirit?

Dental problems are painful, embarrassing, distracting and debilitating. Much productivity is lost in our society due to dental problems.

And dental problems are clearly associated with a wide variety of other health concerns from stomach cancer to kidney and bladder disorders to prostate gland inflammation, all of which place further pressure on our medical delivery systems.

Few common human experiences are more painful and distressing than a toothache. It’s the kind of pain that steals sleep and peace and concentration.

The infection in an abscessed tooth flows freely through the entire bloodstream and cannot be dissociated from the body at a practical level. Even existing definitions of insurable medical conditions have not managed to remove everyone’s heads...yet.

The Canadian Dental Association (dentists) are all in agreement that early and persistent care according to agreed upon maintenance practices are the best policy in caring for people’s teeth (and therefore people).

Their ads on television and all of their individual and collective communications with the Canadian Public say the same thing with perfect consistency. Yet they seem largely agreed that this policy should not be public policy.

So much more could be done for the dental health and overall well-being of people with so much less if this were public policy. Rather these ads become a humiliating message to all who lack complete access to proper care as prescribed by dentists in general. "You cannot get your teeth fixed so too bad for you!"

Dentists should take note that other forms of health care delivery have prospered their colleagues in the medical professions. The merely financial benefits for practitioners from these integrated systems have reached far beyond anything imagined at the moment of conception, or even at its birth. And it has helped all Canadians as well.

Let me clarify that I am not merely suggesting universal dental treatment. I mean dental care. By providing dental care and preventative treatment through government based programs we could reap great benefits as a Province [Ontario], as a Nation [Canada], as a People [Canadians].

For instance, a report about Emergency room traffic in Ontario hospitals revealed that over fifty percent of ER visits were not emergencies and a large proportion of these visits were related to dental problems.

Helping people care for their teeth would also relieve some of the undue pressures placed on hospital staff by sheer volume of clients at Emergency Rooms and other facilities. It would also relieve pressure on the public medical care delivery system, on the Province, and the on Federal Budget.

Healthier people are simply happier, more co-operative, and more productive members of society. Many of our citizens (often the poor or very poor) do not know how to care for their mouths and teeth.

Consequently they’re embarrassed both by the appearance of their teeth and by the suffering that accompanies dental infections and other oral problems. And these people cannot afford to pay someone to help them care for their teeth.

But we have the technologies, the administrative methods, the technologists, the dentists: the system components with which we could eliminate this sad pressure on people and on society. We even have the funding.

All we lack is the Will and a Vision of a Nation where people’s heads are attached to their bodies in the world of political and bureaucratic decision-making.

We need Universal Dental Care in The Province of Ontario. This would help the poor, the artists, our institutions, our finances, our work force, everyone!

Then dental practitioners could see a more even and widespread benefit to their society. They would also find even more reason for pride in their individual and collective work.

Life is a team sport and the collective skill, intelligence and creativity of our dentists could help transform Canada into that place about which we Dream.

Tommy Douglas was recently voted Canada’s “Greatest” citizen by an enthusiastic Public using media technology [TV + Internet + telephones + computers].

This former Premier of Saskatchewan won the hearts and devotion and gratitude of all Canadians through the introduction of “medicare”; government sponsored and supervised medical treatment for all citizens with no user fee.

Apparently the concept has become a hit. In spite of initial hostility and opposition it was soon adopted in all Provinces and became a Federal Government Policy.

This was an act of general compassion towards the Canadian People on the part of Mr. Douglas and his colleagues, the Members of The Saskatchewan Legislature.

Canadians still desire compassion and we like to express it in our societal systems. Let’s embrace compassion and heal the sore mouths, heads, and other suffering parts of Canadians, which result from dental problems.

Let us affirm once again that our mouths are in our heads and that our heads remain firmly in place, attached to our bodies. Our teeth need funding just as our waterfowl do and just as our culture does, and just as our international reputation does.

Canadians are in need of publicly founded, funded and managed Dental Education and Care just as we do for our bodies, minds, eyes, ears, feet, and all other areas of human medical specialization.

Dentists want to help people and such a system will enable a more balanced sharing of resources that will very quickly make us all richer, more productive, healthier and happier. It will make us an even greater nation. Dentists will earn more and the overall costs will be reduced for Canada and Canadians.

Our public medical care system is something that distinguishes us as a nation internationally. It’s an expression of the Justice and Compassion that characterize the Canadian identity. It's a Canadian success story.

Today there is much earnest debate about the future of medicare and many models are being proposed and implemented in response to perceived conditions and circumstances.

Some might prefer to eliminate medicare entirely and let Canadians return to a former and more primitive method of caring for themselves, their families, their neighbours and everyone across this great land.

The Medicare system has served Canadians well as individuals and as a nation. It employs a workforce of competent and well-trained medical practitioners.

Yet costs are skyrocketing and personnel are in short supply. So far no one has successfully suggested that we employ reliable preventative health systems. I know these exist and are available. We could implement these for dental care.

Doctors have also prospered far beyond what most of them would have managed without government medical delivery systems. Everyone wins in these public agreements; at least everyone should win.

When Mr. Douglas introduced the Bill for Universal Medicare in The Saskatchewan Legislature, his plan and dream was not to stop with this step and measure. He pointed out that hospital insurance had been the first step and had been received warmly and economically by the society.

Medicare, he added, was the second step. “Optometrics”, treatment for eyes and access to eye-wear funding, was third. [This is something that has been of great importance to me as a former blind person who received restorative eye surgery which was paid for by the Canadian people via OHIP. Thank you.]

And the jewel in Premier Douglas’ medical crown of coverage was intended to be dental care. After all, nothing gives that final luster to a person like a bright, shiny, healthy smile.

I believe it could be easily demonstrated that we could deliver better and universally accessible dental care to the citizens of Canada with less cost. Rather than tearing away that single thing which Canadians have proven is closest to their collective community heart in choosing Tommy Douglas as The Greatest Canadian, we should complete his Dream.

While others call for a compromise of the health care system, I call for the logical expansion to follow the first three steps already accomplished in this persistent Canadian Dream.

We should institute Universal Dental Care in The Province of Ontario, and then in all provinces, territories and regions of Canada. Dental problems are a plague on our citizens and economy and we could change that easily, inexpensively, and quickly.

These previous Medicare measures have stabilized and civilized Canada and have made this the best place in the world to live.

Be brave. Move forward and grasp The Dream. I call upon Premier McGuinty and all provincial and territorial leaders to embrace this dream and help all Canadians.

Legislate equality in dental care for Ontarions and Canadians!

Peace.

RJW

“Don’t keep the peace…pass it on.”

“Life is a team sport.”
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