Thank you, Adam.
Let us first acknowledge that there are programs and benefits financed and provided by provinces and territories, and that's all fine and great because we're a federation. We all need to play our role.
That being said, we know that approximately seven million Canadians don't go to see a dentist every year because they can't afford it, and many of these seven million Canadians happen to be lower-income Canadians. They are Canadians who don't have access to dental care via private insurance. Seven million Canadians is a lot of people. As we said, that has all sorts of physical and mental health costs, both in the short term and, certainly, in the longer term for children.
As we acknowledge that, we also acknowledge that there are gaps in both eligibility and the baskets of those dental care programs in Canada. Four per cent of total dental care expenses are covered by provinces and territories. However, as I said, almost 30% of Canadians don't go to see a dentist. Out of the total dental care expenditures, 40% of them are paid for directly by people out of their pockets.
We have 4% paid for by provinces and territories and 40% paid for by individuals, many of whom find it quite expensive. Many more—seven million—don't even go to see a dentist, because it's too expensive. Let's acknowledge that the existing system exists by definition, but there are severe gaps in both eligibility and the coverage of the basket of dental care services.