In particular, provincial costs and coverage can vary significantly depending on where you live. Read on to discover how geography affects dental care in Canada.
Variations in Dental Care Coverage by Province
Those who live in the main urban centres or even smaller towns can take for granted the access to care that comes with the territory. For the 18.9% of Canadians who live in rural communities, there is an additional layer of challenge that comes with securing access to the dental facilities we need.
To put it simply, even if money were no object, in some parts of Canada you could end up going without seeing a dentist because there is no dentist to see for thousands of kilometers. For specialized dental care like orthodontia, it becomes even more logistically difficult.
The experience of remote communities is an extreme example of challenges faced in different parts of Canada when trying access dental care, but there are others. For instance, even in densely populated areas, there can be a wide difference in dental care costs.
As we know, dental care falls outside the services that are covered by provincial healthcare plans. Those in need of dental treatments must either pay for their own treatments or carry private health and dental insurance coverage to help manage those costs. To further complicate matters, services covered in one province may not make the list in another location.
Many factors contribute to the cost of dental work, and some are easier to understand than others. For example, a dentist in an area with a high cost of living will generally have higher rent and pay their clinic staff a higher wage. These costs will be reflected in a higher price of dental care in that location.
Some variations in the cost of dental care are not so simply explained. For example, residents in the province of Alberta may be surprised to learn that the costs for dental treatments can be as much as 20–30% higher than in other parts of the country. This is certainly an issue that the health and dental insurance industry and provincial residents will be keeping an eye on in the months and years to come.
Consider Dental Insurance to Manage Costs
With that in mind, geography is certainly one area that can affect the cost of dental treatment, and ultimately health and dental insurance. From province to province, and even dentist to dentist, there can be lots of difference in the cost of dental care. Health and dental insurance can provide some cost certainty as the monthly or annual premiums are a more manageable item in the household budget.
Factors that affect the cost of your dental insurance premiums include your family’s current needs, such as your age, marital status, whether or not you have children, and if your spouse or partner has separate coverage under a workplace plan, for example. These are relatively straightforward and easy to understand. It gets a little more complicated when you start assessing specific coverage level.
Do you need basic coverage for routine services such as exams; something more comprehensive that includes coverage for some periodontal services; or coverage for major services that may also provide for dentures and crowns to replace missing teeth? An insurance broker is the best person to help you decide, based on your dentist’s recommendations and your budget.
An Insurance Broker Can Help
Your dentist is the best person to advise you on your specific oral healthcare needs. Once you know what treatments you can expect to need coverage for, working with an insurance broker can help simplify the rest of the process to get dental insurance in Canada.
Your broker will work with you to determine the right coverage based on your needs, your family situation, and your province of residence. Furthermore, if there is ever a problem with a dental insurance claim, your insurance broker can serve as your advocate when dealing with the insurance provider.
No matter where you live across this great land of ours, there is a Canada dental insurance program that can help offset the high cost of oral healthcare. Contact us today to explore your options and get a no-obligation quote for health and dental insurance.
