Okay, I will move it that way then. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll continue for a minute. As we know, the issue of dental care was contained in the mandate letter from the Prime Minister to the current health minister. Specifically, on December 13, 2019, he directed the health minister to “Work with Parliament to study and analyze the possibility of national dental care.” That's lifted right from the mandate letter to the current health minister. It also appears in the Speech from the Throne, delivered on December 5, 2019, which stated that “ideas like universal dental care are worth exploring, and I encourage Parliament to look into this.”
Of course, we know that oral health is one of the most unequal aspects of health care in Canada. At present, about 32% of Canadians have no dental insurance at all. Those with the highest levels of oral health problems are also those with the greatest difficulty accessing oral health care costs. We know that income-related inequalities in oral health are greater in women than in men and that the most common, non-communicable diseases are oral diseases. Finally, studies have linked poor oral health to serious health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, respiratory infections, diabetic complications, renal disease complications, premature birth and low birth weight.
I plan on moving motions after this on treatment for substance use disorder, a national school nutrition program, vaping products, indigenous health, palliative care and access to cannabis for medical purposes, but I will start by moving a motion on universal dental care, as I have read it.
Thank you, Mr. Chair and colleagues.