30% of Albertans don't visit the dentist regularly, data shows

Recent data from Statistics Canada suggests more than a million Albertans aren't getting in a dental chair for regular checkups. 

Only 70.9 per cent of Albertans reported visiting a dental professional in the past 12 months, according to the government agency.  

That number is slightly below the national average of 72.2 per cent. 

"Dental care in Alberta is quite expensive. We're the most expensive in the country," said Calgary dental hygienist Shannon Hawryluk.

"Lots of people, even if they are insured, they may be underinsured … they may have multiple kids or the children may already have a very large treatment plan with lots of cavities … that's the biggest barrier, for sure."

Non-profit service 'as busy as ever'

Hawryluk manages the Alex Community Health Centre's dental bus program. 

The bus travels to elementary schools around Calgary, offering free, basic dental work to kids who might not otherwise have access to care.

Hawryluk said her team is seeing more demand than ever before. 

"I'm getting more schools reaching out, requesting our care. And then at the schools, we're getting more consent forms returned than ever before this year."

"I was expecting with this new dental care plan that it may go down this year, but it just hasn't happened yet." 

Some Albertans can enjoy more affordable trips to the dentist's office, thanks to the new Canadian Dental Care Plan, which has started rolling out in phases.

Seniors, people with disabilities and children are eligible for full or partial coverage of most dental procedures, so long as they're without dental insurance and have a household income of less than $90,000.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the province will opt out of the federal dental care plan by 2026, but in the meantime, the province has confirmed Albertans can still access care through the program. 

Many factors affecting access, says dental association

"Hopefully [the national plan] will give a bit of an opportunity for people to see a dentist when they thought cost was a factor," said Dr. Jenny Doerksen, president of the Alberta Dental Association.

Doerksen said dentists in the province have to sterilize more equipment and pay high overhead costs compared to other provinces, which can drive up the price of appointments and procedures. 

"Alberta has the highest level of infection control and the highest standards of care. So this kind of drives up the cost of the delivery system," she said. 

A fear of dental procedures, a lack of oral health knowledge and staffing shortages are also keeping people away from the dentist's office, according to Doerksen. 

Language barriers can also affect access, Hawryluk said.  

"We're getting a lot of newcomers here in Alberta, right?" she said. "Navigating resources is challenging for newcomers or people that might not speak English as a first language." 

The Statistics Canada release also indicates 26 per cent of Canadians are either dealing with oral pain or avoiding certain foods because of mouth problems.