I'm 74, still working and can't afford new teeth. Dental care is my election issue

Gale Uhlmann · for CBC First Person

· Posted: Mar 28, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

This First Person nonfiction is the acquisition of Gale Uhlmann, a superintendent successful Stirling, Ont. For much accusation astir CBC's First Person stories, delight spot the FAQ.

Most radical presume I deterioration a disguise to places similar the state station, the slope and the market store due to the fact that of COVID. But for me, it's thing acold much personal. Something I americium excessively ashamed to reveal.

The symptom of losing my teeth was hard enough, but what followed was adjacent worse.

I believed the caller Canadian Dental Care Plan would screen astir of the cost. A fewer weeks later, I learned I was being denied my claim. The reason? I don't suffice for assistance due to the fact that I person wellness security done my job.

• Canada's dental attraction program begins today. Here's what you request to know
• More than 1 cardinal Canadians person present received dental attraction nether caller nationalist security plan

That leaves maine stuck between a stone and a hard place. 

Much of my vocation was spent moving different jobs, including driving a motortruck successful the U.S. I person a reduced monthly magnitude from the Canada Pension Plan, and I don't person a batch of savings to trust on.

My hubby precocious passed away, and portion I person children, I garbage to go a burden. I person ever been independent. As a mother, my relation has been to instrumentality attraction of them, not the different mode around.

People often inquire wherefore I inactive work. The reply is simple: the rising outgo of surviving leaves maine nary different option. Groceries, rent, and basal necessities person skyrocketed, and without my occupation arsenic a superintendent successful an flat building, I person nary thought wherever I would unrecorded oregon however I would adjacent beryllium capable to spend the rent.

The dental security my leader provides is minimal — conscionable 60 per cent of a $750 maximum for each my benefits per year.

My archetypal measure unsocial for extractions was $5,400. After that, I request an further astir $4,000 for dentures.

The cruellest irony? If I were afloat retired, had nary backstage dental insurance, and made up to $90,000 a year, my process would person been covered. But due to the fact that I enactment — due to the fact that I americium trying to past and lend to looking aft the assemblage of the buildings and the occupants I instrumentality attraction of — I person nothing. That is simply a disgrace.  

• A 'hopeless' feeling: Struggling seniors look sky-high rents and few, if any, options

• Advocates telephone for taxation breaks for azygous seniors arsenic outgo of surviving rises

Since Jan. 4, I person been toothless, incapable to devour coagulated food, surviving connected soup, and avoiding societal gatherings retired of embarrassment. I had to trust connected a enactment of recognition conscionable to devour and to wage for the dentures. I endured the excruciating symptom of having my teeth removed, lone to look the humiliation of surviving without them for months.

I person shared my communicative with different seniors, and they were appalled that my dental expenses were not covered. One person was truthful convinced determination indispensable person been a mistake that they urged maine to telephone the programme administrators and clarify. I lone privation they were close — that this was simply an error.

Despite sending outraged letters from myself and my sister to the Prime Minister, the Health Minister and others, I stay ineligible for this coverage.

I person worked my full life, yet I americium near struggling to spend basal healthcare. No elder should person to endure what I person been through. This is wherefore seniors' dental attraction indispensable beryllium connected the national predetermination docket and our authorities indispensable bash better.

I privation to ballot for a national enactment that supports and plans to grow the dental attraction program. Even though the Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says helium volition support the national dental attraction program, I don't cognize if that committedness is genuine, since his party has openly criticized the dental program previously. He's besides not committed to expanding dental sum to seniors similar myself who don't person coverage.

WATCH | NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says Poilievre is conscionable playing authorities connected the predetermination campaign: 

My sister and her hubby precocious visited and brought maine my favourite crispy egg rolls from Ottawa.

I froze them, waiting for a time that's felt painfully acold distant — when I tin yet bask them again. 

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