with a total satisfaction rate of 88%, including the majority being “very satisfied” (54%). “Cleanings” and “check ups” were the two main dental treatments used with the CDB. “Of note, about one-third (30%) of Canadians do not have access to a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) account, which is required to apply for the benefit,” says Costa Papadopoulos, CDA’s principal health policy advisor. Avoiding Appointments due to Affordability Issues To the question: “Has the type of dental treatment you are seeking out changed due to economic climate?,” almost 1 in 10 (9%) answered yes. Among the reasons highlighted, the price of dental care is mentioned by 60% when 44% had to cut their expenses to afford dental care and almost 20% lost their job or went through a cut in their work hours. “Another key finding in this survey is that about onethird of parents of eligible children have delayed a dental appointment waiting for the implementation of the federal dental plan,” says Papadopoulos. “And over half (57%) of this group will wait until funds are actually deposited before going to see a dentist. Less than half (43%) would be willing to pay extra for any dental treatments not covered by the federal dental plan.” The survey was conducted with 3,500 Canadians from February 10 to March 3, 2023. A random sample of panelists were invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source. 10 | 2023 | Issue 3
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