Madam Speaker, my office is receiving hundreds of messages every day about dental care. One senior said, “I live on a tight budget. In January of this year I needed serious dental surgery.” To afford the $1,800, she is living frugally by cutting her own hair, turning down her heat and walking rather than driving.
Marisa needs over four thousand dollars' worth of dental work, but she gets only $1,000 for dental every two years on disability. She is in extreme pain. Diane in Powell River worked for 41 years in an office, and her retirement income is $1,400 a month. Every six months she pays $264, which she cannot afford, to take care of her teeth. She needs to replace two old fillings, but at almost $400, how can she?
Many constituents have said their last visit to the dentist was five years ago or more, with some saying it was 15 years ago. It is time we add dental care to the mix. Canadians are suffering without it. People's health depends on it.