More than one-third of Canadians reported not seeing a dentist in the past year, according to a new Statistics Canada report.
Based on data from the 2022 Canadian Community Health Survey, it also found that roughly the same number of respondents, or 35 per cent, lacked dental insurance coverage while nearly one quarter avoided dental care due to costs.
The findings come as the federal government works to create a new national dental insurance plan that will cover up to nine million people with family incomes of less than $90,000. A key demand from the NDP in its supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals, $13 billion is earmarked for the plan over the next five years, with coverage expected to begin by the end of 2023.
Just 55 per cent of Canadians have private dental insurance through an employer, university or other means, according to the Statistics Canada data, while four per cent currently have coverage through a public government-paid plan. Of those with insurance, 76 per cent saw a dental professional in the past 12 months, compared with 51 per cent of people without coverage.
For those without coverage, 40 per cent said they avoided dental care due to the cost. Nearly half of Canadians in the lowest income bracket reported seeing a dentist in the past year, compared with almost three quarter of those in the highest bracket.
The Canadian Dental Association suggests that most people get a dental exam every six months.
Women were more likely to report receiving dental care than men over the past 12 months, at 68 versus 62 per cent. Younger Canadians aged 12 to 17 were also more likely to visit a dental professional (79 per cent) than people 65 years and up (60 per cent). Those aged 65 years and older were half as likely (33 per cent) to have dental insurance than those aged 35 to 49 (69 per cent).
A lower proportion of people in Quebec (62 per cent), New Brunswick (62 per cent), Saskatchewan (60 per cent) and Newfoundland and Labrador (55 per cent) reported seeing a dental professional compared with other provinces. Dental insurance was also more prevalent in urban areas and outside of Quebec.
The survey also noted costs were reported as being more of a barrier to racialized and non-heterosexual people.
Conducted from Feb to Dec. 2022, the Canadian Community Health Survey covers Canadians in provinces aged 12 and older. Statistics Canada says it provides "the most recent insights into Canadians' access and use of dental care services."
A judge will decide Monday whether new evidence warrants a re-examination of the convictions of Erik and Lyle Menendez in the shotgun murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills home more than 30 years ago.
A mammoth rape trial in France moved into a new phase Monday as prosecutors began to lay out the verdicts and punishments they want for dozens of men accused of raping Gisele Pelicot while she was drugged and rendered unconscious by her husband.
An intoxicated woman in Elliot Lake has been charged with breaking into her neighbour's apartment and choking their dog.
The discovery of a severed horse head, and a cow quartered with its bloodied dead calf on top, have rattled a Sicilian town, with authorities treating the incident as a mafia threat.
At least 17 people are missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea following warnings about rough seas, Egyptian officials said Monday.
Second Cup Café has taken back two of its franchise locations in Montreal following allegations of hateful remarks and gestures made by the franchisee in a video that was widely circulated online during a pro-Palestinian protest.
A Winnipeg Police Service officer is recovering after he was stabbed in the throat Sunday evening.
The Utah Hockey Club got the full Toronto experience Sunday night ahead of their first-ever matchup against the Maple Leafs—bumper-to-bumper traffic that forced the team to walk to the game.
A DHL cargo plane crashed on approach to an airport in Lithuania's capital and skidded into a house Monday morning, killing a Spanish crew member but not harming anyone on the ground. The cause is under investigation.
A Winnipeg Police Service officer is recovering after he was stabbed in the throat Sunday evening.
An intoxicated woman in Elliot Lake has been charged with breaking into her neighbour's apartment and choking their dog.
Second Cup Café has taken back two of its franchise locations in Montreal following allegations of hateful remarks and gestures made by the franchisee in a video that was widely circulated online during a pro-Palestinian protest.
The family of a soldier who fought during the Second World War has been reunited with letters written to him 80 years ago.
A family in Riverview, N.B., is making plans for Christmas and the future after escaping a fire in their home on Nov. 14.
A B.C. man has been awarded nearly $800,000 in damages as compensation for injuries he sustained from a defective bear banger, according to a recent court decision.
The discovery of a severed horse head, and a cow quartered with its bloodied dead calf on top, have rattled a Sicilian town, with authorities treating the incident as a mafia threat.
Thousands of supporters of Pakistan's imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan have defied a lockdown, tear gas and widespread arrests to head to the capital on Monday to demand his release.
At least 17 people are missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea following warnings about rough seas, Egyptian officials said Monday.
A mammoth rape trial in France moved into a new phase Monday as prosecutors began to lay out the verdicts and punishments they want for dozens of men accused of raping Gisele Pelicot while she was drugged and rendered unconscious by her husband.
The United Arab Emirates said Monday police arrested three Uzbek nationals for the killing of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi, an attack that's raised concerns for the burgeoning Israeli community in the country.
Foreign ministers from the world's leading industrialized nations met Monday as signs emerged of progress on a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and a certain pressure to advance diplomatic efforts in both the Mideast and Ukraine wars ahead of the new U.S. administration taking office.
Montreal's police chief says he expects more arrests stemming from a Friday anti-NATO protest that turned violent, with smashed windows and burned cars in downtown Montreal.
The chair of the United States House intelligence committee says Canada needs to accelerate its defence spending targets, especially with its military in 'desperate' need of investment.
Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien is calling the federal government's proposed GST holiday and $250 rebate cheques a 'targeted approach' to address affordability concerns.
A disease often thought to only affect 18th century sailors is reemerging in Canada.
Ontario failed to meet its own legislated target this past year for the average number of hands-on hours of care that long-term care residents receive, a newly updated document shows.
Joshua Orson sits on the edge of a bed in a bright, clean room, thinking about his journey from addict to health-care worker.
Canadian neurosurgeons in partnership with Elon Musk's Neuralink have regulatory approval to recruit six patients with paralysis willing to have a thousand electrode contacts in their brains.
An advocate for major social media platforms told an Australian Senate committee Monday that laws to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed until next year at least instead of being rushed through the Parliament this week.
Astronomers have spotted orbiting around a young star a newborn planet that took only three million years to form, quite swift in cosmic terms.
The criminal cases of actors Jussie Smollett and Bill Cosby, both found guilty before their convictions were overturned, differ in details but share some parallels.
Bishop T.D. Jakes had a "slight health incident" while delivering a lengthy sermon on Sunday, according to The Potter’s House, the Dallas-based megachurch where he serves as pastor.
Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga 'A Woman of Substance' and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies, has died. She was 91.
It's been more than 40 years since coal was king in the scenic Crowsnest Pass of southwestern Alberta, but a referendum vote Monday could sway a contentious debate on bringing it back.
Swiss watchmaker Swatch has won a suit against the Malaysian government after a court ordered the return of 172 Swatch watches seized last year due to designs that authorities said bore 2SLGBT+ elements.
The richest person in the world got even richer Friday, with Musk’s net worth hitting a record US$347.8 billion, Bloomberg reported.
The Chess World Championship begins in Singapore on Monday with China's Ding Liren seeking to defend his title against India's Gukesh Dommaraju, better known as Gukesh D, who is still just 18 years old and could become the youngest ever person to be crowned world champion.
The Australian government introduced what it's called 'world-leading' legislation in parliament this week to wipe social media accounts – including Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and X – from the devices of children under 16.
They are tiny insects that are often overlooked or stepped on, but ants are marching not only into people’s backyards, but also their homes, as the popularity of ant-keeping rises in Canada.
The Utah Hockey Club got the full Toronto experience Sunday night ahead of their first-ever matchup against the Maple Leafs—bumper-to-bumper traffic that forced the team to walk to the game.
Sidney Crosby became the 21sth player to score 600 NHL goals during the second period of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 6-1 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday night.
Lawyers for the players have said their clients plan to defend themselves against the allegations, and all five are expected to plead not guilty.
Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are being recalled in Canada over a potential power loss issue that can increase the risk of a crash.
Northvolt AB has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, but said the move will not jeopardize the manufacturer's planned electric vehicle battery plant in Quebec — though hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in the parent company could be lost.
Canadian drivers are regularly in a hurry to get to their destination and a majority are willing to take unnecessary risks on the road, according to the results of a new survey.
The family of a soldier who fought during the Second World War has been reunited with letters written to him 80 years ago.
The holidays may be a time for family, joy and togetherness, but they can also be hard on the wallet.
Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations.
The Lotto Max jackpot has climbed to $80 million for just the second time in Canadian lottery history.
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
TransLink is set to share its plans to keep commuters moving this winter as temperatures drop across Metro Vancouver.
British Columbia's new health minister says she's aiming for more treatment beds and fewer deaths in a revamped approach to the province's drug overdose crisis.
A murder in China and a civil lawsuit in B.C. have been preventing the sale of multiple Vancouver homes, but one of them could soon hit the market after a court ruling.
The Utah Hockey Club got the full Toronto experience Sunday night ahead of their first-ever matchup against the Maple Leafs—bumper-to-bumper traffic that forced the team to walk to the game.
A suspect in a deadly daylight shooting in St. Catharines was arrested over the weekend following an hours-long standoff, police say.
Ontario failed to meet its own legislated target this past year for the average number of hands-on hours of care that long-term care residents receive, a newly updated document shows.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek will be giving a post-budget address on Monday. Her remarks will be the keynote speech at a luncheon hosted by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.
Arctic air continues to sit over the western Prairies, suppressing temperatures and creating windchill values of -25 to -40.
Two more parcels of land, which are expected to see two new residential towers that will offer 160 units of rental housing, have been bought by a developer, the city said Monday.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Ottawa with freezing rain expected to move into the area starting tonight.
OC Transpo says nearly 1,900 fines were issued to riders who didn't pay their fares on Ottawa buses and trains this fall.
A large cargo ship remains stuck in the St. Lawrence River after running aground on Saturday afternoon.
A 'mixed bag' of precipitation is in store for the Greater Montreal area, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Second Cup Café has taken back two of its franchise locations in Montreal following allegations of hateful remarks and gestures made by the franchisee in a video that was widely circulated online during a pro-Palestinian protest.
One man is in hospital after shots were fired inside an apartment building in Montreal’s Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.
Heavy snow pushed through central and eastern Alberta over the weekend.
The snow came and went, but the cold air is sticking around for at least one more week.
A London, Ont., judge is set to hear legal arguments today in the sexual assault case of five members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team.
A family in Riverview, N.B., is making plans for Christmas and the future after escaping a fire in their home on Nov. 14.
Monday marks the final day of the election campaign before Nova Scotians head to the polls Tuesday.
The beginning of the commercial lobster season in southwestern Nova Scotia has been delayed due to weather.
A Winnipeg Police Service officer is recovering after he was stabbed in the throat Sunday evening.
The family of a soldier who fought during the Second World War has been reunited with letters written to him 80 years ago.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued a snowfall warning for parts of Manitoba, with snowfall totals between 15 and 25 cm expected.
Saskatchewan's legislature is set to resume Monday for a short two-week sitting, with Premier Scott Moe's Saskatchewan Party planning to get to work on addressing affordability issues after a challenging election campaign.
Much of southern Saskatchewan was hit with a heavy snowfall for the second time inside a week over the weekend, with totals again nearing or surpassing 20 centimetres (cm) in many communities.
Researchers from McGill University have discovered a first of its kind fossil specimen for Saskatchewan.
A Saturday evening vigil brought together community members to honour the victims of the Holodomor and reflect on 1,000 days since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
An auto repair shop based in Kitchener held a special fundraiser Saturday to help children and youth with physical disabilities, with former Maple Leafs captain Wendel Clark in attendance.
A Kitchener, Ont. emergency room doctor has officially earned his second Guinness World Records title.
Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) has announced that all schools will be closed on Monday due to heavy snowfall and hazardous road conditions.
Saskatoon residents are digging out from another major snowfall that blanketed the city overnight.
Saskatchewan's legislature is set to resume Monday for a short two-week sitting, with Premier Scott Moe's Saskatchewan Party planning to get to work on addressing affordability issues after a challenging election campaign.
The Almaguin Highlands detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police is treating the recent death of a North Bay man as a homicide.
An intoxicated woman in Elliot Lake has been charged with breaking into her neighbour's apartment and choking their dog.
Environment Canada has issued a winter weather advisory for areas in and around Greater Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins.
Lawyers for the players have said their clients plan to defend themselves against the allegations, and all five are expected to plead not guilty.
The London Fire Department was on scene of a house fire in the city on Sunday.
Police have busted and charged two people in connection to a daytime theft at a legion in Gravenhurst.
An overnight crash in Tiny Township is under investigation, where a car allegedly crashed into a tree and both occupants were taken to hospital.
Simcoe Muskoka saw its first signs of snow of the season Sunday morning, with a mix of flurries and rain leading to worsening road conditions and police reporting multiple collisions.
Windsor police are on the scene of what's being called an, "active investigation." "Expect a sustained police presence in the area," read a post on social media.
Around 3 p.m. on Sunday, OPP were dispatched to a vehicle rollover collision involving a passenger vehicle on Lanoue Street near Rygate Drive.
If you were hoping to see the CPKC Holiday Train this year, you’re in luck! The train is chugging through Canada and the U.S., stopping in Chatham-Kent and Windsor-Essex on Monday.
British Columbia's new health minister says she's aiming for more treatment beds and fewer deaths in a revamped approach to the province's drug overdose crisis.
A boater is grateful for the services of local rescue groups after being left stranded in the cold waters of Cowichan Bay after his vessel capsized.
A B.C. man has been awarded nearly $800,000 in damages as compensation for injuries he sustained from a defective bear banger, according to a recent court decision.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
It's been more than 40 years since coal was king in the scenic Crowsnest Pass of southwestern Alberta, but a referendum vote Monday could sway a contentious debate on bringing it back.
Snow routes were declared active in Lethbridge, the city posted on its website. Starting at 9 a.m. Monday, parking restrictions will be in effect for streets declared to be snow routes.
The Hurricanes dropped their third straight game on Friday night, losing 6-3 to the Winterhawks in Portland.
An intoxicated woman in Elliot Lake has been charged with breaking into her neighbour's apartment and choking their dog.
Environment Canada has issued a winter weather advisory for areas in and around Greater Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins.
Practice this week for the Sault College Men’s Hockey Team was taken to another level, as the Cougars face off against cross-border rival Lake Superior State University this weekend.
A Newfoundland energy company's embrace of data centres is raising doubts about eastern Canadian hopes of harnessing the region's howling winds to supply Germany with power from green hydrogen.
An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized.
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