Support the Oral Health Postcard Campaign

As partners in the Ontario Oral Health Alliance, AOHC is asking for your help to build support for extending emergency oral health programs to low income adults.
 

What’s the issue?

• Thousands of adults in Ontario cannot afford dental care. They experience pain and infection and have nowhere to turn but the emergency room of their local hospital.
• In 2008 Premier McGuinty committed to develop a dental program for all low income families. Since then we have new dental programs for children, but they’re still not reaching enough low income kids. There are no programs for adults who are not receiving social assistance.
• We want the government to fix the current children’s programs so more low income children have access, and to extend provincial programs to include adults and seniors who cannot afford emergency dental services.

AOHC’s position

• We believe there should be an affordable, accessible oral healthcare program for all low-income children and adults in Ontario.
• Our members are well positioned to provide these services as we already work with marginalized and vulnerable people.
• The new Healthy Smiles Ontario program for children is a step in the right direction. But a recent survey of our members found a number of problems:
  • The income eligibility criteria are too low leaving out many low income children;
  • There is lengthy application paperwork to be completed;
  • The program does not address oral health needs for the rest of the family.
    

How can you help?

• To help build public and political support for expanding provincial programs to include adults who cannot afford emergency dental services, AOHC is partnering with the Ontario Oral Health Alliance in a postcard campaign during 2012.
• Check out www.oaphd.on.ca to download a postcard and sign the petition. Or you can sign a postcard at your local CHC, AHAC, CFHT or NPL clinic.
• We want to get over 10,000 postcards signed and collected by fall 2012. AOHC members are collecting signed postcards and then meeting with their local MPP in the Fall to deliver them, discuss the issue, and seek his/her commitment to support this campaign.
  

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?  Email jacquie@aohc.org