We all probably agree that Canadians have it pretty good when it comes to accessing healthcare. What many don’t know is that our luck extends well beyond the realms of family doctors and emergency rooms and into the dental industry as well.
According to the Canadian Dental Association, Canada is a world leader providing dental care to its citizens. At Janz Family Dental, we take pride in what we do for our patient’s oral health at our dental clinic in Edmonton. Let our experts give you a short rundown on the state of oral health in Canada.
The progression of dentistry in Canada
Rodney Janz has witnessed firsthand the progression of oral healthcare in Canada for nearly 25 years. Today, the care of the clinic he founded in 1993—and its patients—has been left in the capable hands of his son, Jon Janz, who couldn’t be happier about the direction the Canadian dental industry has taken over the last two and a half decades. Since 1970, the percentage of Canadians that have had the ability to consult a dentist increased from 49.5% to 74.5%. This increase in care has led to a number of other statistics (courtesy of the Canadian Health Measures Survey) residents of Canada can be proud of: • Canadian children with at least one decayed tooth has dropped from 74% to 23.6% • The average number of missed or filled teeth has decreased from 6 to 2.5 • The percentage of adults with no natural teeth has decreased significantly from 23.6% to 6.4%
Access to oral healthcare
As of 2010, nearly 80% of Canadian residents had access to a dentist, and 85.7% had visited a dentist within the previous 2 years. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t improvements that need to be made. There are other groups of people who need help accessing an Edmonton dentist.
Looking to the future
Access to dental insurance is still out of reach for many people around Canada. 53% of adults approaching retirement age have no dental insurance, which poses a lot of problems for their oral health. But it’s not only senior citizens who have difficulty accessing dental care. Improvements need to be made when it comes to dealing with the oral health of children ages 0-18. Dental problems often manifest themselves early on in life—and prevention is always better than correction. If you’re looking for a kids dentist in the Edmonton area, make an appointment with Janz Family Dental. Visit us here for more information regarding our services.
