New dental programme launches in Ottawa
A new dental programme to help underprivileged children has been launched in Ottawa.
Healthy Smiles Ontario launched on Tuesday and will provide free dental care for thousands of children in the area. The scheme was introduced to target children from low income families; children under the age of 17 from families with a net income of less than $20,000 are eligible for free dental treatments, including dental X-rays, fillings, check-ups and cleaning treatments.
The two million dollar Healthy Smiles programme is being funded by the provincial government and patients can visit any of the six Ottawa Client Services Centres.
The scheme has been launched to try and improve access to dental care for children from poorer families; in recent months, an increasingly large number of people have struggled to afford dental treatment, as a result of losing their job and losing their insurance cover. The cost of dental treatment has also risen and thousands of people across Canada are struggling to find a dentist that offers care for low income families. Free clinics have been overwhelmed by the demand, with many volunteers confronted with queues of patients, all waiting for an appointment.
Helping children from low income families will help to improve standards of oral health amongst children in the city; this will not only make a huge difference to the children, but will also save money on dental care in the future.
Families who are interested in the scheme are advised to visit one of the six Client Services Centres in the city to apply to join the programme.
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