I am aware of some communities, especially in northern and rural Saskatchewan, that do not have a dentist and have not seen a dentist in many years. Patients have to travel at least seven to nine hours one way to see oral health care providers. There have been therapists in some communities, but there is a shortage of oral health care providers at all levels.
In terms of the access-to-care barriers now, even if dentists enrol in the plan and the CDCP is implemented, if we are not doing something specific for the northern and rural communities and we don't specifically invest resources in that area, I think that may create a further divide. Some of our populations that have suffered disproportionately are the ones who have not seen dentists in years.