17
Volume3 Issue3
|
CDA
at
W
ork
SyrianRefugee Situation:
COMMENTARY
Dr.AmandaMorel
I havebeendelighted to see the
overwhelming response from thedental
communityas 25,000Syrian refugees
have startedarriving inCanada tobegin
anew life. TheOntarioDental Association
phone lineshavebeencloggedwithcalls
fromdentistsofferinghelp. Thesedentists
havebeen referred to their component
societies, and listshavebeencompiledof
all dentistswilling tovolunteer their time
tohelpcare for thenew refugees.
Inaddition, the federal, provincial and
municipal governmentshavepartnered
to support the resettlement of Syrian
refugeesbyensuring theycan receive
emergencydental care.
While thispositive reaction isgreatly
encouraging, the situationhas causedme
toquestionwhether our response to this
timely issue is equitablegiven theongoing
crisis situation facedby theCanadian
workingpoor.
The ironyof the situation is that after their
first year inCanada,manyof theSyrian
refugeeswill likelyfind themselves in
the same situationasother low income
Canadianswith littleor noaccess todental
benefits. This surelycompelsus to lookat
the situationwithawider lens andfinda
more inclusive solution.
We shouldnot have to takean “either-or”
approachbut rather shouldbeadvocating
for abalancedapproach towardall those
whoareunderprivileged, not just one
select groupor community.
A2015 report publishedby theWellesley
Institute (
LowWages,NoBenefits
)
1
states
that fewer thanone-thirdofOntarians
earning$20,000or less annually receive
employer-providedhealthbenefits. This
means thatmost peopleworkingat or
nearminimumwagedonot haveaccess
todental benefits and, inaddition, are
ineligible for government publichealth
programs. Thisgroupofworkingadults
has fallen throughgaps inour health
care system.
These individuals areoftenworking
multiple jobs to support their families
andhave tomakedifficult decisions in
allocating their limited resources.Whena
dental emergencyarises theyare forced to
choosebetweenessentials, suchaspaying
the rent or buyinggroceries, or having
thepainful toothfixed. As a result, our
alreadybusyhospital emergency rooms
are inundatedwithvisits for painful dental
conditions that canonlybe treatedwith
antibiotics andpainkillers, often leading
to returnvisitswhen the infection recurs.
Asdental practitioners,we shouldbe
askinghowwecanwork collaboratively
touniteour communities.Wehavean
opportunity tohelp:
• Therearevolunteer clinics inevery
provincewhichprovide freedental care
to low-income, uninsuredadults. These
clinicshaveagreat need for volunteer
dentists tohelp reduce lengthywaiting
lists.Most dentists volunteer just a few
hoursmonthly.
• If this isnot possible, another option
is tooffer to treat a small number of
prescreenedpatients at your ownclinic,
providing themwithadental home.
Clearly, thesearenot ideal long term
solutionsbut anecessary stopgap
until thegovernment agrees toprovide
increased funding for low-income,
uninsuredCanadians.
If youhavean interest infindingout
more, please feel free tocontactme
at
a
Theoverwhelmingly
generous response by
Canadiandentists to the
Syrian refugeecrisisbrings
upmanycomplex issues.
Dr.AmandaMorel, adentist
inTorontowhovolunteers
her time to serve low-income,
uninsuredCanadians in
thatcity,offeredher
insightson the situation.
Reference
1.Wellesley Institute.LowWages,NoBenefits:ExpandingAccessto
HealthBenefits forLow IncomeCanadians;February2015.Available:
wellesleyinstitute.com/research/publications/(accessed2016Feb10).
Haveyou treated refugees
fromSyriaorothercountries?
Whatwere thechallengesor rewards
involved? [Whatwas thestateof their
oralhealth?]
Pleaseshareyourexperiences
withyourcolleaguesat
Theviewsexpressedarethoseoftheauthoranddonot
necessarilyreflecttheopinionsorofficialpoliciesofthe
CanadianDentalAssociation.
