Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Cavities, toothaches, bad breath and painful extractions that might have been prevented, these things aren’t talked about very often. Unfortunately, though, oral health problems are very common amongst my constituents. With a simple legislative change to the Dental Auxiliaries Act and a promise from our government to invest in visits to small communities, residents could receive timely and valuable dental care.
In nearly every Canadian province, dental hygienists are allowed to work independently. They aren’t required to work under the direction of a dentist. In the NWT dental hygienists don’t even have that freedom. This means NWT residents are not benefiting from a range of services offered elsewhere in Canada.
Better alternatives are available. One example is the use of interim stabilization therapy. This is basically a temporary filling to relieve pain and halt the progression of tooth decay. This type of therapy can be performed by dental hygienists in most provinces and it should be performed by hygienists here too.
A simple legislative change has the potential to prevent a great deal of pain and expense associated with tooth decay and gum disease. We should make it possible for hygienists to practise independently. This would be a win-win prospect. Residents would benefit and so would dental hygienists. People of all ages would have timely access to oral health care and it could be served in a variety of settings, from schools and community health centres to private clinics in people’s own homes. They could receive more regular checkups starting at an early age.
Dental hygienists have a proven record of innovative service delivery and they could do a world of good in our small communities. The Northwest Territories needs to bring its legislation in line with the majority of the Canadian provinces. I will have questions for the Health Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
