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Popularity of dental program forces Region to cut assistance
Wednesday July 23 2008 The Region is cutting back on part of its dental financial assistance program.
The move, decided by regional council last Wednesday, comes as a result of the overwhelming response the municipality has received this year for its Dental Care Counts (DCC) program.
A staff report to the health and social services committee last week states 67 per cent of this year’s budget for the DCC program was used up in the first five months of 2008 alone.
Last year, only 63 per cent of the budget was spent throughout the entire year.
DCC is in place to ensure older adults and adults with special needs have access to oral care, the report states. The majority of the funds so far this year— and where the unexpected increase has occurred— have gone toward new dentures (60 per cent).
The approved budget for this year— the same as last year— is $130,000.
In the first five months of this year, $87,000 was already incurred, with $94,000 approved for clients but not yet incurred, meaning more than the entire year’s budget has already been spent.
In response to the unexpected number of people taking advantage of DCC, regional council passed a motion Wednesday to not approve any new dentures and to limit denture care to relines and repairs from August 1 to December 31.
Other services will continue.
The total cost of this option by the end of 2008 will be $265,000, as opposed to the $406,000 it would cost to remain on the same path as the first five months of the year.

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