Ottawa – Regular visits to an oral health professional have proven to reduce the risk of tooth decay, gum disease and other serious health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and stroke. Sadly, some people have to choose between paying their bills or taking care of their teeth, while others face barriers due to geographical distances, physical barriers to accessing a care setting or their specialized needs. That’s why we are supporting projects that explore new ways to reduce barriers and to connect more people to quality oral health care.
Mark Holland, Minister of Health, launched an Expression of Interest process for the second stream of funding under the Oral Health Access Fund (OHAF). The funding will support projects that aim to improve access to oral health care in rural, remote and underserved areas and for underserved populations. It will also support projects that aim to improve public awareness of the importance of preventing oral diseases and maintaining good oral health.
The Expression of Interest is open to non-profit and for-profit organizations, as well as other levels of government and their agencies. Eligible applicants are invited to submit their application by consulting the form on the OHAF webpage by July 31, 2024. Successful applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal for funding in Fall 2024.
Last month, Health Canada launched the first stream of the OHAF, for which the application process also closes on July 31, 2024. Stream 1 will help oral health training institutions to address competency gaps in the knowledge and skills of students and/or oral health care providers when it comes to the treatment of targeted populations and adapt existing training to ensure students have sufficient hands-on training opportunities.
The OHAF complements the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) by investing in targeted measures to address oral health gaps among vulnerable populations and reducing or removing non-financial barriers to accessing care, including in rural and remote communities.
“We know that many people can’t access oral health care for reasons beyond financial, like those living in rural and remote communities. That’s why we are working with community partners to find innovative ways to improve access to oral health care including for individuals in rural and remote communities and those who have specialized needs. The Oral Health Access Fund complements the tremendous progress already made under the Canadian Dental Care Plan to improve access to dental care for up to nine million Canadians.” – Mark Holland, Minister of Health