April 12, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BEDFORD, NS – The Nova Scotia Dental Association (NSDA) believes children’s oral health is falling through the cracks in our province. The recently released 2022 Oral Health Report highlights preventative care as key to improving the provincial Children’s Oral Health Program.

The Children’s Oral Health Program provides limited basic dental care to all children up to age 15. However, the number of eligible children accessing the program each year has been steadily declining.

Currently, the program prioritizes treating dental disease instead of preventing it. It includes unlimited fillings and extractions, but places limits on preventative services, such as regular dental cleanings, examinations, x-rays, and fluoride applications.

“Dentists see the effects of childhood tooth decay in their daily practice,” said Dr. Jennifer MacLellan, NSDA president and pediatric specialist at IWK Health. “If left untreated, tooth decay can lead to pain, infection, and can affect a child’s overall health. We want to work with government to improve the oral health of children across Nova Scotia and ensure program services are targeted to children who need them most.”

The 2022 Oral Health Report also proposes a provincial fluoride strategy as a key preventative measure for early childhood tooth decay, a very common oral disease that can begin soon after a baby’s first tooth comes in. Fluoride provides many dental benefits, and community water fluoridation is a safe, accessible, cost-effective way to help prevent tooth decay for all members of the community.

Dentists across Nova Scotia have been advocating for changes to the children’s program for a long time. The NSDA was a key stakeholder to the government’s Oral Health Advisory Group’s 2015 report, which advocated for the Children’s Oral Health Program to focus more on preventing dental disease, and serving the children who need the program most.

The NSDA is hoping with the PC government’s commitment to improving healthcare for all Nova Scotians, a collaborative effort can help protect children’s oral health for years to come.

Read the full 2022 Oral Health Report at https://nsdental.org/.

About the Nova Scotia Dental Association

The Nova Scotia Dental Association (NSDA) is a member-based organization serving the needs of more than 500 dentist members across the province. As a not-for-profit organization, the NSDA has been the voice for dentistry in Nova Scotia since 1891. Our mission is dentists helping dentists.

Media Contact:
Gill Costello
Communications Manager
Nova Scotia Dental Association
902-420-0088 ext. 2
communications.nsda@bellaliant.com