Thank you for that question.
There is considerable variation across the country. If you go to provinces like Newfoundland or P.E.I., which do have programs, they are funded well enough so that dentists are reimbursed for the cost of providing care and the ability to make a living while they're doing that. In other provinces, programs have been chronically underfunded. Ontario is probably the worst example of that. You are right that dentists who do participate in these programs are actually paying out of pocket to provide the care.
Every dentist will do what they can to provide care. Frequently these kids are part of larger families we treat in our practices, but it's not a sustainable situation. We hope to gain a remedy for that.