It is something that I'm incredibly proud of, too, member of Parliament. It's just such a transformational thing for people who haven't had dental care in so long.
I worked extensively with a number of different dentists in the early days to make sure that they understood the program and that they could sign up. Now a majority of dentists are signed up and receiving Canada dental care patients. It is a game-changer.
In fact, I can't go to an event without someone talking to me about the changes it's made in their lives. Oftentimes, they are older people who don't have benefits and who don't have coverage, and for the first time in 10 years, in some cases 20 years, they've had their teeth cared for. Not only have they been in pain, but there's a high degree of shame if you have dental decay. For younger people, it can prevent your ability to land a job.
I worked for years in public health. One of the campaigns that we had back then was an affordable dental care plan, because it was an inhibitor of employment for people who had severe dental caries. There was a pilot project at that time somewhere in Ontario that demonstrated that, if you could repair people's teeth, they had an easier time landing a job.
This is an asset for Canadian families. Young people who are aging out of their parents' care don't have benefits yet in their career. I was in that place myself. It's very tenuous to be in a position where you have a job, but your job doesn't include benefits, and you still need care. This is a game-changer for so many Canadians across the country, and it's great to see the number of people who have signed up for dental care and who are receiving treatment.