Message from the President & Registrar - December 2023
Dear Colleagues,
It has been an active period for news in dentistry. Just days ago, the government of Canada announced the formal launch of the Canada Dental Care Program (CDCP). According to the federal government, this program will help about 9 million uninsured Canadians get the oral health care they need. Though many details have yet to be worked out, the program’s goal is clear: ease the financial barriers to access to essential oral health care. Dentists and all other regulated oral health professionals will be at the heart of the success of the program. We will provide more resources as they are available.
Expanding access to oral health care will require work on many fronts. As part of our access to care work, you will see below that we have created a low-cost dental clinic interactive map. This will help patients and families find low-cost options.
Founded in the U.S.A. and operating in the U.K. and Canada, Smile Direct Club has officially shut down after filing for bankruptcy. This will have an impact on patients who are mid-treatment. Dentists in Ontario may end up seeing these patients as the company now recommends that they consult with their local dentist for future treatment. Dentists who were working with Smile Direct Club are reminded to assist with transitions for care and ensure that patients have access to their records.
At our December meeting, Council directed staff to proceed with exploring the transfer of the Professional Liability Program (including current liabilities and staff) to a third party, with the goal of allowing the program to continue to operate, under separate ownership. This decision focused on maintaining the most valuable parts of the program, as underlined by dentists. We were particularly pleased to see a strong response to our PLP survey in November: over 1,600 participated. The results of that survey will be posted on the RCDSO website.
As the process continues, we will regularly communicate with the profession. There will be a report on progress to Council in March 2024.
You may have seen that effective January 1, 2024, on a trial basis, the Professional Liability Program (PLP) is enhancing its group malpractice protection to include practice by an Ontario dentist in any jurisdiction in Canada, subject to appropriate licensure outside of Ontario and compliance with the malpractice insurance coverage required by the respective dental regulatory authority. This will help make it easier, for example, to practice or volunteer in underserved communities in Canada. This initiative helps to remove a barrier to access to care, and we are pleased to support it.
Thank you to all who have renewed your Annual Licence. We recognize that it takes time to do so and we appreciate your commitment to the requirements of the profession. If you haven’t been able to register, please reach out with any questions or assistance. Late fees do apply for payments processed after December 15th and the last day to renew (with late payment) is January 31st, 2024.
We would also like to express our sincere thanks to all dentists who have responded to our requests for assistance. Your search of records to assist police services and coroners offices helps families find closure and is very meaningful. The Office of the Chief Coroner has expressed their profound thanks to Ontario dentists.
Finally, we want to wish you, your patients and your practices the very best of this holiday season. It can be a challenging time for many of us for a whole host of reasons, but we hope that, regardless of circumstance, we can take some time this season to appreciate each other.
Sincerely,
Dr. Harinder Sandhu and Daniel Faulkner