A new Canada Dental Benefit is giving low-income families with children 12 years and under the opportunity to visit the dentist.
Families with a $90,000 annual income can apply for the benefit to receive up to $650 per year for each child under 12 for dental care.
“The federal government is supplying the money, and handling the functions of it,” founder of Lifepath Dental and Wellness Dr. Jed Snatic said. “It’s better than nothing, it’s nothing to sneeze about.”
Snatic explained the benefit is similar to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) which was offered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To receive the benefit a parent or guardian must apply online or by phone and provide each eligible child’s dental care provider’s name and address, date of the dental appointment, and employer’s name and address.
If eligible, the funds will be released into their account up to five days after.
Benefit recipients are asked to keep receipts for six years, in case the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) needs to validate eligibility.
Anyone with company plans, Alberta assistance for dental care, or access to a private dental insurance plan is not eligible to receive the benefit from the federal government.
“It’s going to make a big difference, once people figure it out, they will utilize it,” Snatic said. “People that have no coverage but need access to dental work, there is a lot out there. Overall, it will be a good thing for everybody.”
The benefit is an incentive to stop cavities before they happen, preventing root canals, crowns, and other future dental work, and setting children up for overall health.
“Their mouth is very-very important in overall health. I’ve been doing this for 30 years and I see it day in and day out. People who have healthy teeth live longer, they don’t have heart attacks, they don’t have strokes, cancers, and all of that. Over a lifetime it makes a big difference,” Snatic said.
He explained that the benefit will cover individuals who typically wouldn’t have access to dental care otherwise.
“Keeping young people’s teeth healthy is a good investment into the country, into the population, and it lowers the amount of health care they will have to spend in their lifetime,” Snatic said. “It’s a perfect win-win, now they have the ability to have the funds before they go to the dentist and get some work done.”
Although nobody has used the benefit at Lifepath Dental and Wellness, the team is ready to use it, and help anyone who has questions about the process of applying.
“Hopefully somebody will be able to get a nice smile for Christmas,” Snatic said.
For more information on the benefit, or to apply visit the Government of Canada website.
