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letters to the editor
All Canadians hurt by limited access to oral care
To the Editor:
Oral health is crucial to
overall health, but more
and more Canadians find
themselves without
access to dental profes-
sionals. In fact, a recent
study highlighted that
there were, on average,
208,375 visits to physi-
cians annually in Ontario
alone for oral health-
related diagnoses.
Turning to physicians for
the treatment of oral health
concerns is unacceptable
for several reasons. These
practitioners have limited
training and experience in
the treatment of oral
conditions. Moreover, they
already face daunting pres-
sures on their time related
to their normal practice.
Inequitable access to den-
tal professionals is com-
promising the oral health
of Canadians and putting a
strain on Canada's health
care system, likely adding
to wait times. All Canadi-
ans bear this burden as a
result.
If provincial/territorial
and federal governments
reallocated public funds to
invest in more accessible
preventive oral health
care, they could reduce
overall costs and support
better health outcomes for
Canadians. Many of the
diseases and conditions
that are presented at doc-
tors' offices and emer-
gency rooms are preventa-
ble and would be best
addressed with routine
oral assessments and reg-
ular plaque and tartar
removal by registered den-
tal hygienists.
During this federal elec-
tion campaign, dental
hygienists are spreading
the word that prevention is
the best approach to take
and that all federal parties
should commit to advanc-
ing oral health in their
Mr. Harper continues to attempt to persuade Canadians
Dear Editor,
Mr. Harper continues to
attempt to persuade Cana-
dians that only he and his
trained band of performing
troubadours, led by his
devoted, yet unconvincing,
puppet Pierre Pettigrew,
can lead Canadians to a
future that they desire. For-
tunately, his messaging is
losing traction with an
increasing number of
Canadians. I have recently
been canvassing door to
door, and the most fre-
quently expressed issue of
voter concern was the need
to get rid of Harper. But let
us not underestimate the
amount of work that has to
be done in the remaining
weeks of the election cam-
paign to replace our auto-
cratic, supreme ruler
Harper. With his
mind -controlled band of
puppets in the PMO's
office, his army of spin doc-
tors, his massive war chest
of funds for attack adver-
tisements and his abuse of
public funds and institu-
tions to spin his propa-
ganda, Canadians should
have zero doubt that he will
go to all extremes to hold
onto power. His addiction
to political power and to
Because you love your
MedicAlert®.The bracelet with
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Call 1-866-734-9422
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election platforms. Com-
mitments like this are cru-
cially important for vulner-
able populations, such as
Canada's seniors and First
Nations populations,
whose rates of oral disease
are much higher than
those of the general
population.
Only one in eight Cana-
dians lives in a province or
territory with programs
that fund seniors' dental
care. The federal govern-
ment should show leader-
ship by working with the
provinces and territories
to ensure that long-term
care and homecare
extreme right wing ideol-
ogy, along with his addic-
tion to control, is far greater
than ever previously experi-
enced within living political
memory. Without doubt,
Harper is the most conniv-
ing, deceitful and dema-
gogic prime minister that
Canadians have ever
known.
Canadians have to decide
if we wish that our beloved
regulations and standards
include daily mouth care
and professional oral
health care services. This
targeted investment will
greatly improve the oral
and overall health of
seniors.
Further, the cost of pro-
viding dental services and
emergency medical trans-
portation for First Nations
(a combined $574 billion
annually) could be greatly
reduced and health out-
comes improved if the fed-
eral government not only
recognized dental hygien-
ists as health care provid-
ers in every province and
Canada should continue to
be ruled by the Rule of One,
or whether Canada should
return to its historical values
of equity for all Canadians,
of caring for the environ-
ment and of restoring Can-
ada to its previous, world -
respected role as an
international peace maker
and peace keeper. Women
in particular should remain
enraged that Harper has
territory, but also
increased its support for
the Children's Oral Health
Initiative of the First
Nations and Inuit Health
Branch.
When candidates come
to your door during the
election campaign, ask
them how their party will
support improved oral
and overall health out-
comes for all Canadians.
Let's put an end to the
burden of oral disease in
Canada.
Ondina Love, CAE
CEO, Canadian Dental
Hygienists Association
betrayed all women by fail-
ing to convene a full investi-
gation into the large number
of missing and murdered
aboriginal women. On Octo-
ber 19, Canadians have the
personal power to restore
integrity, democracy and
civility to our national gov-
ernment. Quite clearly, it
depends on all of us.
Your sincerely
Jim Hollingworth