Ontario Expands Free Dental Care for Eligible Children and Youth
More than 323,000 children and youth from low-income families are getting free dental care through the new Healthy Smiles Ontario program. Under the expanded program, Ontario is providing free dental care to help York Region families raise healthier kids. Children from low-income families can access free preventive, routine, emergency and essential care from licensed dental providers.
Ontario has integrated six publicly funded dental programs into one, providing a simplified enrolment process and making it easier for eligible children to get the care they need. These changes also mean that 70,000 more children from low-income families have become eligible for free dental services. Applicants can now sign up for this program online at ontario.ca/healthysmiles. They can also contact their local public health unit for information and support.
Research demonstrates that untreated oral health problems can affect a child’s ability to eat, sleep and concentrate in school, which can impact their growth and development. The new Healthy Smiles Ontario program is part of Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy commitment to build community capacity to deliver oral health prevention and treatment services to children and youth from low-income families in Ontario.
Investing in dental care for children and youth is part of the government's plan to build a better Ontario through its Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care, which provides patients with faster access to the right care; better home and community care; the information they need to live healthy; and a health care system that is sustainable for generations to come.
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“We are making it easier for children to get the dental care they need because having good oral health and a healthy smile can have positive impacts on a child’s overall health, self-esteem and ability to learn. Families are encouraged to visitontario.ca/healthysmiles to find out if they’re eligible and to enrol in this program. Tooth decay is one of the most common childhood diseases, but it’s preventable with the proper dental care, and our expanded Healthy Smiles program is helping more kids access these important services.”
- Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
“It is important that we give our children the best start in life. The new Healthy Smiles Ontario program will help children from low income families in Richmond Hill receive preventive, routine, emergency and essential dental care when they need it, through a simplified and efficient enrolment process.”
- Reza Moridi, M.P.P., Richmond Hill
“Ontario is making oral health for children a priority. The new Healthy Smiles Ontario program will allow children to get the vital dental care that they need, cavities and gum disease can negatively impact a child’s life. Proper dental care for children helps them lead happier and healthier lives.”
- Chris Ballard, M.P.P., Newmarket-Aurora
“As a physician, I know that good oral health is an important part of good overall health - that is why our government is expanding the Healthy Smiles Ontario Program. Now, more than 323,000 children and youth from low-income families in Ontario, including those in my riding of Oak Ridges-Markham, will receive access to free, high-quality dental services.”
- Dr. Helena Jaczek, M.P.P., Oak Ridges-Markham
“I am proud of our government’s commitment to improving dental care for children from low-income families. Providing free preventative, routine, and emergency dental services ensures that the growth and development of children in Vaughan will not be impacted from untreated oral health problems.”
- Steven Del Duca, M.P.P., Vaughan