Good morning, Chair and committee members.

My name is Ondina Love, and I am the chief executive officer of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association, which I'll refer to as CDHA.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to address this committee. I'm really proud to be here to represent dental hygienists across the country.

CDHA is the collective national voice of more than 31,000 dental hygienists working in Canada, directly representing 22,000 individual members. We remain committed to advancing the dental hygiene profession and promoting the importance of access to oral health care.

Dental hygienists are one of the eligible health providers under the Canadian dental care plan, which I'll refer to as CDCP. This is a significant and historical milestone for the health and well-being of the people of Canada. In addressing the financial barriers that previously prevented uninsured Canadians from accessing vital oral health care, the CDCP represents a categorical step forward for the future of oral health coverage.

Despite the significance of the role played by dental hygienists in the CDCP, CDCP fee guides for independent dental hygienists are, on average, 15% lower than the same services provided by dental hygienists in a dental office or dental corporation. This significant reimbursement inequity significantly disadvantages independent dental hygienists and the patients they serve. It's imperative that remuneration rates for CDCP-covered services delivered by independent dental hygienists be fair and competitive. We need to ensure that our professionals, who are primarily female, are appropriately compensated for their contributions to oral health care services for Canadians and the delivery of the CDCP.

One of the many benefits of the CDCP is its ability to facilitate care to Canadians who may have otherwise struggled to access affordable oral health services. By expanding the list of professionals eligible under the Canada student loan forgiveness program to include dental hygienists, we can significantly improve access to oral health care for those living in historically underserved communities, such as rural and remote areas. This would complement the CDCP, ensuring an adequate workforce and ultimately helping more Canadians receive the oral health care they deserve.

The delivery of this essential care can be supported through additional investments to ensure that preventive services are covered under the CDCP. These include dental hygiene examinations, scaling, sealants, fluoride, therapies to prevent gum disease and caries, personalized oral health education and health promotion counselling. Dental hygienists know that preventive care is critical to protect and preserve Canadians’ oral health. The significance of investment in this area, therefore, cannot be overstated.

To support the experience of Canadians who sign up and register for the CDCP, prioritizing administrative efficiencies and clarity is of utmost importance. Minister Beech and his team have done an excellent job in ensuring eligible Canadians can register in a seamless and efficient process. I have to note that over 1.6 million Canadian seniors have already enrolled in his program.

Oral health care is health care. We recognize that the design and implementation of the CDCP and related policies may be complex. Health Canada, and all offices involved, must maintain dialogue with national and provincial professional associations, highly qualified oral health clinicians, dental public health specialists, disease prevention experts and other stakeholders as part of a continuous improvement and responsive approach. Ongoing collaboration among key stakeholders is imperative to ensure the CDCP is fine-tuned in response to the needs of those it is intended to serve.

We at CDHA remain committed to working in partnership with federal departments, the Minister of Health, and others towards filling the gaps in coverage and complementing existing provincial and territorial dental programs. We continue to encourage eligible Canadians to enrol in the CDCP.

Thank you so much for your time today.

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