Primarily this is owing to institutional underfunding of dental programs, which necessitates high student fees. Dentistry is simply a very expensive program to operate. Our concern is ultimately the sticker shock of tuition fees that are in the neighbourhood of $32,000 a year. This could drive some qualified applicants away from choosing a career in dentistry.
For instance, the projected cost of a four-year degree in dentistry at the University of British Columbia is $171,000. Intuitively, we feel that this may be a particular barrier for some groups—for example, rural students—and may affect the long-term composition of the profession. Based on the fact that dental school clinics provide a much-needed community service with lower-cost treatment, there is a strong argument for increased funding to these schools. As it now stands, dental students are effectively subsidizing access to dental care.
Finally, the one remaining issue I wish to address with you has to do with team delivery of dental care. There are a variety of options as to how much direct access to varying levels of dental care is appropriate. I think there is a compelling argument to be made that dentistry has had it right for some time. With the introduction of dental hygienists and other allied dental personnel a few years ago, we were able to attach and achieve a high level of efficiency in dentistry. It ensures the highest standards of patient care and maximizes the impact of each provider as that care is delivered.
By having all of these services together under one roof, a patient is able to have preventive services, full diagnostic assessment, x-rays and testing as needed, and full treatment, without the need for travel or efficiencies or duplicate examinations and assessments. Historically this approach has also proven to be very safe.
In closing, I guess my take-home message is that we feel we have a lot to be proud of in dentistry.
I will now, for the next five minutes, turn the microphone over to Mr. Fefergrad, because I believe I've exhausted my seven minutes.