Dental care should be covered under the province’s medical plan, Union of BC Municipalities annual conference delegates agreed Sept. 14.
A resolution said dental health is a critical health component and a key indicator of healthy childhood development. And, it said, poor dental health contributes to speech impediments, lower nutritional absorption and growth development, pain, learning inequality, and other health and quality of life issues.
But, it said, dental care is not a universally accessible service for all residents of British Columbia.
Delegates asked Victoria to take immediate steps to remove access barriers to dental health care, allocate more funding for basic dental health care insurance for low-income individuals and families and work with the BC Dental Association on the issue.
Delegates voted 95.2% in favour of the resolution.
