Dental Insurance

The social determinants of health can significantly affect many health conditions, including oral health.  Regular dental visits help maintain good oral health, yet people without dental insurance are less likely to visit the dentist regularly than people with insurance.  Of course, insurance status is directly related to income.  For more information on financial help, please visit the health unit's website on the Children in Need of Treatment (CINOT) program.  The dental insurance data on this page are from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS).

An estimated 154,000 people (approximately 34% of the population) in Simcoe Muskoka do not have dental insurance. The percentage of people without dental insurance is highest for people who are 65 years old and older.  Figure 1 shows the percentage of people in Simcoe Muskoka without dental insurance by age group. 

Figure 1:

People without dental insurance are less likely than those with insurance to have visited a dentist within the last year across all age groups.  Figure 2 shows the percentage of people in Simcoe Muskoka who have visited the dentist within the last year by insurance status and by age group.

Figure 2:

There is a direct relationship between having dental insurance and income category:  as income increases, the percentage of people with dental insurance increases.  Figure 3 shows the percentage of people in Simcoe Muskoka who have dental insurance by income category.

Figure 3:

For qualified children and teens up to their 18th birthday, financial assistance for dental treatment may be available.  For more information, please visit health facts on the health unit's website and look for Children in Need of Treatment ("CINOT") program.