• About 1 in every 5 people in Canada avoids visiting a dentist because they cannot afford the cost, according to a 2014 report by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. The same proportion applies to Ontario.
  • Across Ontario in 2012 there were almost 218,000 visits to physician offices for oral health problems. .
  • This is evidence that many people are using costly primary health care services for oral health problems because they cannot afford dental treatment and/or dental prescriptions.
  • As physicians typically do not have professional dental training, visits to a primary care provider for oral health problems are often inappropriate and do not provide quality of care to those in need (Cohen et al., 2003).
  • At a physician’s office people can only get pain killers as relief for their dental pain or conditions, not treatments to solve the problem. This means many people may return to the physician for their oral health issues, or end up in the Emergency Room (ER) of their local hospital. 
  • In 2013, there were almost 59,000 visits to hospital ERs for oral health problems, costing at least $30million.
  • This is a costly and inappropriate use of the OHIP system.
  • At a minimum cost of $33.70/visit, the total estimated cost for visits to physicians’ offices for oral health concerns in Ontario was at least $7.3million in 2012.
  • Ontarians should be able to receive affordable preventative dental care in their communities. But OHIP does not cover our teeth and gums.
  • We need government investment in public dental programs for low income adults.
  • If low income people could get their oral health needs met at public clinics and Community Health Centres they would not have to visit physicians’ offices and ERs to address their dental pain.
  • The Ontario government should re-direct the $37million (minimum estimate) spent on acute oral health care in physicians’ offices and hospital ERs and increase investment to create a   properly funded program to provide public oral health care for low income adults and seniors.
  • The Ontario Oral Health Alliance calls on the Ontario government to extend current public oral health programs for low income children to reach low income adults and seniors

Visits to Ontario Physicians' Offices for Oral Health Problems, 2012*
LHINNumber of Patient Visits
CENTRAL27,334
CENTRAL EAST25,071
CENTRAL WEST17,208
CHAMPLAIN18,103
ERIE ST. CLAIR11,106
HAMILTON NIAGARA HALDIMAND BRANT22,271
MISSISSAUGA HALTON18,515
NORTH SIMCOE MUSKOKA7,219
NORTH-EAST10,042
NORTH-WEST4,202
SOUTH EAST8,927
SOUTH WEST19,924
TORONTO CENTRAL17,327
WATERLOO WELLINGTON8,815
LHIN UNKNOWN1,610
Total217,728

*Reasons for visits: disease of oral cavity, salivary glands and jaws. Most common complaint: abscess, toothache.Source of data: Ministry of Health & Long Term Care IntelliHEALTH ONTARIOCosting:The average cost to see a physician about an oral health problem is at least $33.70 (MOHLTC  Fee Codes, 2014: Billing Code: A007 for intermediate assessment). Using this figure OOHA estimates the total cost of visits to Ontario’s physicians for oral health problems was at least $7.3million in 2012. References:Cohen, L.A., Manski, R.J., Magder, L.S., and Mullins, C.D. (2003). A Medical Population’s Use of Physicians’ Offices for Dental Problems. American Journal of Public Health. (93)8, 1297-1301. Doi: 10.2105/AJPH.93.8.1297Physician Payment – Schedule of Benefits for Physicians Services http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/providers/pub/ohip/physmanual/downlo... (link is external)Note prepared by: Jacquie MaundAssociation of Ontario Health Centres, October 2014 jacquie@aohc.org (link sends e-mail)