An issue that rarely gets discussed by health promoters is dental health and
the link to poverty and determinants of health. The last few days, this
issue seems to have come to the forefront with announcement of an upcoming
symposium on the issue, and research articles about the situation in Quebec
and in Ontario. Here's a compilation of these items for our consideration
and discussion.

Symposium - Access and Care: Towards a National Oral Health Strategy
Toronto, Ontario, May 13-15, 2004

The Toronto Oral Health Coalition, George Brown College and University of
Toronto have organized the first ever Symposium on Oral Health Policy, to
take place in mid May.
This symposium is especially crucial and timely because:
* dentistry was excluded from consideration in the Future of Health Care in
Canada (Romanow) Report;
* unlike most developed countries, Canada has no recent nation-wide survey
of the oral-health status of its citizens;
* there is virtually no planning for future dental provider roles or
requirements;
* Canada has no national dental-care program for children and expectant/new
mothers--similar programs are available even in many developing countries;
* hospital-based dental clinics have been closed, having a severe impact on
training and services;
* public programs for seniors and children have been cancelled;
* there are higher fees and, consequently, higher student debt for training
in dentistry;
* there are extreme limits on dental coverage for those on welfare and
almost nothing for the working poor and seniors;
* Canada has income tax-free care for those with employer-paid dental
insurance; and
* most importantly, no-one has accepted the challenge of improving the
situation

For more information or to register on line visit
<http://www.utoronto.ca/dentistry/continuinged/contedcourselist.html>.


Just as the symposium was being announced in the OHPE Bulletin last Friday,
an article on accessibility of dental services by poor people in Quebec, was
being shared in another listserv. The original article is "Improving dental
health for the poor" by Bronwyn Chester from the McGill Reporter March 11,
2004 v.36 #12<http://www.mcgill.ca/reporter/12/bedos/>
This article focuses on the work of McGill Dentistry Professor Christophe
Bedos on improving the dental health of those with limited access to
dentists. His interviews with Quebec welfare recipients (reported in Social
Science & Medicine Apr 2003 http://tinyurl.com/2cy7b) showed that the poor,
despite access to free basic dental care, were less likely to go to
dentists. Some of the barriers related to their relationship to dentists,
the environment and the stigma of poverty. Dr. Bedos is turning his
attention to educating dentists and dental students on working with the
poor, and looking to changes in coverage to include most dental services.
The McGill Faculty of Dentistry, which has several preventive and treatment
programs aimed at those with little access to dentists, is [also] organizing
a conference on poverty and dental health.

A year ago, the Ontario Health Promotion E-Bulletin (OHPE) carried an
article about the Toronto Oral Health Coalition and the efforts of the
Hamilton District Health Council on accessibility to oral health services in
May 2003 in issue #310. You can see it at:
http://www.ohpe.ca/ebulletin/ViewFeatures.cfm?ISSUE_ID=310&ROWNUMBER=31
Check it out and learn more about the issues and the people who are
involved.

Alison
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Alison Stirling, health promotion consultant
Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse (OPC)
Suite 1900, 180 Dundas St. W. Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8
Tel. 416-408-2249 or 1-800-263-2846 x226
Fax. 416-408-2122  Email: [log in to unmask]
Internet: http://www.opc.on.ca
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

To unsubscribe send one line: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] . To view archives or modify subscription see: http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html