Why people in Saskatchewan are skipping the dentist, according to Statistics Canada
Some patients walking out without paying: dentist
A recent survey by Statistics Canada found 40 per cent of people in Saskatchewan didn't see a dentist last year. For half of them, the reason was the cost.
Gladys Newlove, a dentist in Saskatoon, said she's seeing a lot of patients struggling to pay for treatments.
"I've had people who I think have had to make some tough moral choices," she said.
"They've agreed to a treatment and I provide the treatment and then they forgot their wallet and never paid their bills. This has happened multiple times."
She said that some see the total cost and don't come back, and others go one tooth at a time based on urgency.
Newlove said she hasn't gone after those who left without paying.
"I think that's part of how some people are coping with it. I have a heart and I hope for the best. If people are upfront with it, we try to make other arrangements." she said.
She said lack of coverage is a key reason people struggle with dental care, but that the current economic environment is another.
"I've even had a patient who admitted to me that he was doing intermittent fasting," she said. "Further through our conversation, I discovered the reason he's doing intermittent fasting is because he can't afford to feed everybody in his family."
Newlove said it's heartbreaking to see people not be able to take care of themselves.
She said there have been multiple situations where people have only been able to afford cheaper, sub-optimal treatments. An example is a rotting tooth that could be saved with a root canal — which costs around $1,400 — but a patient might instead get an extraction and lose their tooth because that only costs around $300.
Another reason people avoid going to the dentist is dental anxiety.
"I take a special interest in treating people with dental anxiety. My own dental anxiety is what was my motivation to become a dentist."
Ultimately, Newlove said finances are the biggest factor in people not getting the care they need.
Yorkton resident Sharlene Novak said she goes to the dentist twice a year, but wouldn't if she didn't have the dental coverage she does.
"You always see what the bills are and what gets covered and stuff," Novak said. "So I think it is fairly expensive. I feel sorry for people who don't have that opportunity."
Colleen Bekkattla is not covered and said she hasn't seen a dentist in a couple years because it is it too expensive.
"I have some cavities and stuff that I need to get fixed, but I can't because of the cost," she said. "I would've if I was covered."
Bekkattla said one of her biggest frustrations is that oral care is not included in regular health care coverage.
"This is where you're introducing most things to your body and they do affect your overall health," she said. "Why is this excluded when everything else is taken care of?"
The College of Dental Surgeons of Saskatchewan responded to an interview request with a written statement.
"We anticipate that the Canada Dental Care Plan, set to be announced by the Federal Government in the next few weeks, if designed properly, will help alleviate the costs for Canadians to gain meaningful access to oral health care."
Newlove also said that a lot of conditions in the mouth are preventable and the education system can do better in creating awareness.
"A child that's small can really understand what the actual problem is. I don't think it's communicated very well and I don't think it's a high enough priority in the education system."
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