Objectives: To describe trends in expenditures on dental health care services, the number of dental health care professionals and self-reported dental visits and cost barriers to dental care in Canada from 2000 to 2010.
Methods: Data on licensed dental professionals; total expenditures on dental care, both public and private; and mean per capita amount spent on dental care were obtained from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Information on self-reported dental visits and cost barriers to dental care were collected from the Canadian Community Health Surveys and the Canadian Health Measures Survey. To compare Canada with other countries, data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) were used.
Results: From 2000 to 2010, the number of licensed dental professionals increased by 35%, with a particularly large rise in the number of dental hygienists (61%). Total real expenditures on dental care, after adjusting for inflation, increased by 56%, while the percentage of dental care expenditures paid by private insurance and through public funds decreased. Mean per capita expenditures increased from $233.94 in 2000 to $327.84 in 2010. Compared with other OECD countries, Canada ranked among the highest in mean per capita spending on dental care, but among the lowest in terms of public share. The proportion of people reporting a dental visit in the past year increased from 60.3% in 2001 to 75.5% in 2009, and those reporting cost barriers increased from 15% in 2001 to 17% in 2009.
Conclusions: The dental care market appears to be growing, with increases in licensed dental professionals, total and mean per capita dental care expenditures and self-reported dental visits. However, these increases are not necessarily associated with greater effectiveness in meeting population needs and outcomes, such as equity in financing, delivery and improvements in oral health. Concerns with the financing of dental care and related issues of access may have implications for the future of dental care in Canada.