Finance committee  I would think so, yes. If there is better alignment and better understanding along with the communication and clarity, that would help.

Finance committee  I think this includes a diverse range of metrics, including from what areas people are coming to receive service, and where. I think I'd be most interested personally to see data related to whether people living in their home communities are able to receive services right where they are.

Finance committee  Another factor would be if existing practices are already full and the providers are at their capacity. Then we would have to look at how we can increase that capacity by bringing in new providers or creating opportunities for internationally trained providers to become licensed in Canada.

Finance committee  In my opinion, we should look into opportunities to not have balanced billing or to harmonize the fee guides so that we will not be creating tough situations for anybody—providers or patients.

Finance committee  Absolutely. You said it very well. It is historic. It is a milestone for all of us. Oral health care is on the table, and like many others, I am pleased to see that. We are aware that the mouth is literally the gateway to the body. It impacts how we function day to day and what we eat.

Finance committee  I am aware just to the level that you have described. I am not sure about the details of the fund yet.

Finance committee  Dr. Singh is fine.

Finance committee  I'm not aware of all of the cities that are saturated; some centres may be. I think it's about the equitable distribution of providers and what opportunities we are creating for providers to be in areas that are high-need. I'm not aware of why these providers may be choosing to be in the urban centres, but lifestyle resources, from my understanding, would be one of the reasons.

Finance committee  From the information I have been hearing, there has been some consideration given to increasing the fee guide from 82% to about 88%. That's what I am aware of right now.

Finance committee  I am not able to speak on behalf of dentist providers, but I think if more work is required, especially if there's more administrative work, and there's less compensation, that may not be attractive for the providers.

Finance committee  We have known that cost has been one of the barriers to accessing dental care. This is especially relevant to low socio-economic status. In other cases, there was no availability of service, so the physical availability of services is also important. From my work and from discussions in our association, there is yet another barrier that is not generally talked about.

Finance committee  I definitely would think so. However, I do not think there is that.... There is need for care everywhere. This would just enhance it.

Finance committee  I am aware of some communities, especially in northern and rural Saskatchewan, that do not have a dentist and have not seen a dentist in many years. Patients have to travel at least seven to nine hours one way to see oral health care providers. There have been therapists in some communities, but there is a shortage of oral health care providers at all levels.

Finance committee  I definitely see that, especially if there is a return of service agreement of some sort to specifically target the communities that have been historically underserved. On top of that, I don't want to forget to highlight that the cultural safety piece is important. Ensuring that training happens in the right way for these future providers is essential.

Finance committee  I think for preventative services and hygiene, anything we can do more upstream in education for the patient, including on scaling and hygiene appointments, is important. Ultimately, this is going to prevent the disease burden. It cannot happen overnight or in a few years. We have seen a huge disparity over the past number of years, so it's going to take time.