Most oral health care providers report they can continue providing care within one month, despite the anticipated increase in patients under the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), which is expected to add 4.5 million more patients, a recent survey published by the government on Wednesday shows.
“Despite the anticipated increase in demand, most practices still expect to provide care within one month.”
The Survey of Oral Health Care Providers (SOHCP) is the “first” national poll that sheds light on the human resources, administrative, and financial challenges faced by oral health care providers. The survey was conducted between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. So far, the federal dental program has allowed 1.7 million Canadians to access dental care.
The newly released data shows that most oral health care practices reported having human resources issues (80%) and operational challenges (75%). However, the survey concluded that practices are still prepared to handle more patients.
“Despite the anticipated increase in demand, most practices still expect to provide care within one month,” the government said. The survey also revealed that “one in four oral health care practices see new patients for non-urgent dental care in less than one week.”
However, the survey did not offer insights on urban vs. remote disparities.
The full survey also includes other data points, providing a broader view of the current state of oral health care practices across Canada. For example, three in four (75%) practices faced operational challenges, with the most common issues being administrative, financial, and patient-related problems. Dentists (76%) and independent dental hygienists (75%) were more likely to report these challenges compared to denturists (68%).
Here are the top figures from the survey:
- Over half of practices report an average wait time for existing patients of one week to less than one month.
- Over half (55%) of oral health care practices can offer a new patient an appointment within one week to less than one month for non-urgent care. One in four (25%) offer appointments in less than one week, while 15% can see patients within one to three months.
- Difficulty recruiting skilled employees was the most cited human resources challenge with 64% of dentist, 50% of independent dental hygienist, and 37% of denturist offices.
- 31% of practices plan to expand their operations within the next two years.
- 96% of practices are still accepting new patients.