Thank you, Madam Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I appreciate the Minister's opening statement in regards to the oral health strategy, and I'm wondering if the Minister plans to table an official report of where we are with the oral health strategy. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Oral Health Action Plan is currently in place, and it's in place until the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The outcomes are updated as the work progresses or completed. As this work progresses, and some of the work that's completed, as Minister, I am updated. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Will the Minister have her department undertake an assessment of the feasibility of allowing dental hygienists to practice without the oversight of dentists so that our small communities have better access to preventative oral healthcare?
Under the current legislation, the dental hygienists are allowed to practise independently with only indirect supervision. Professional oversight is required. The direct supervision is not required, just the indirect supervision. Yes, we can look at the legislation.
I am very happy to hear a "yes" in response to that one. I am wondering if the Minister has an idea of a timeline in regards to that type of a feasibility study?
Apparently, I need to go back here and just talk about the -- I'm going to go back to the Member's original question because I think I might have gotten confused here. We have an action plan. The action plan is currently in progress until 2021. The Member had asked if the dental hygienists can go unsupervised. They can go, somewhere around the question. The dental hygienist does not require direct supervision. They do require indirect supervision. The action plan that the Member is referring to that I receive updates, yes, we can provide the updates if that is what the Member and all the MLAs are requesting.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am going to go back, as well, then. I completely understand that the act stipulates that there is a requirement that there is indirect supervision from a dentist. However, that means that a dental hygienist who wants to practise in northern communities needs to find a dentist who is willing to take them on under their wing, so to say, and that prevents people from being able to just go to communities on their own as a business owner and provide dental hygiene appointments or preventative healthcare to people who live in these small communities. What that will end up doing is driving up costs of dental care to people who live in Tuktoyaktuk or who live in Deline.
In order for us to be able to provide cost-effective, preventative oral health care in small communities, being able to remove that stipulation and expect that dental hygienists who are accredited and who are trained professionals can work without the supervision of a dentist is required. I am wondering if the Minister is willing to do a feasibility study to look at removing that from the act. Thank you.
I can see some of the Members are pretty happy over there. I am not sure about a study, but it is something we will look into. Oral health in the communities, like I said in my Minister's statement, is very important. There was a question in the House by Inuvik Twin Lakes asking me last month: will the department look at establishing a territorial chief electoral health officer role? That is something our department is looking into. We need a position in place to be able to go. We look at some of our health centers, and the hygienist chairs are empty. I recognize that. Our department needs to go in and have a look at the system and see what is required within the legislation or perhaps make changes to it. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
