The region’s Medical Officer of Health was able to share an update about dental health at the most recent Board of Health meeting.
Dr Ian Arra says that Grey Bruce Public Health decreased the number of people waiting to access the Ontario Seniors Dental Care program by 70% since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There was an all-time high of 250 people on the waitlist for the program, which has since dropped to 81.
Meanwhile, Public Health was also able to screen almost 6,000 children at local public, private, and Amish/Mennonite schools for their Healthy Smiles program during the 2022-2023 school year.
Even with these successes, Arra says that the demand for oral health services remains high throughout Grey Bruce.
The capital project for a dental clinic in Walkerton, which reached the tender stage in August, is still moving along, but the project itself is estimated to be over budget and is 4-6 weeks behind schedule.
