ABOUT Oral Health Clearinghouse
The Canadian Oral Health Roundtable has called for the development of a national clearinghouse/directory of the various oral health programs, initiatives and key research and report findings across Canada. The establishment of a Clearinghouse is one of theactivities in support of the establishment of a network/coalition of stakeholder partners.
Purpose of Clearinghouse
The purpose of the Clearinghouse is to create an independent, open-access web-based site that will contain information on publicly funded dental/ oral health programs, initiatives and reports in Canada. To ensure that theClearinghouse is manageable, the information will be limited to Canadian content.
The Clearinghouse contains up-to-date information on public oral health programs that is in a consistent format. It provides links to other sites that contain information on oral health initiatives, best practices, and important Canadian oral health reports that are not more than 20 years old.
It is critical that stakeholders provide input into this site, to ensure relevancy, accuracy and an appropriate breadth of information. Whenever information on a public health program is inaccurate, incomplete or missing altogether, we encourage that stakeholders submit information to us so that it can be updated and posted.
We encourage stakeholders to submit information since there will be programs across Canada that are not included in this clearinghouse. This, in effect, is the purpose of the clearinghouse; to continuously update and enhance the information available for everyone in one place.
Clearinghouse Sections
The Clearinghouse has four sections:
Federal Oral Health Programs
Provincial/ Territorial Oral Health Programs
Oral Health Initiatives and Best Practices
Oral Health Reports
Canada's Oral Public Health System
Information compiled under Federal Oral Health Programs contains information on oral health care programs financed by the federal government which includes:
- Military personnel
- Those with state recognised indigenous status
- Veterans
- Federal prisons
- Refugees
The bulk of programs fall under Provincial/ Territorial jurisdiction. Information compiled under Provincial/ Territorial Oral Health Programs contain information on oral health programs financed by provincial and territorial governments. This also includes programs administered at the regional and municipal level, as well through universities which fall under provincial jurisdiction. These programs tend to include:
Provincial/ Territorial
- Surgical-dental services requiring hospitalisation or associated with a congenital anomaly or medical need
- Social assistance recipients and their dependents
- Targeted child and adult populations (e.g., low income families)
- Targeted disabled and institutionalised populations (e.g., those in long-term care)
- Provincial prisons
Health Regions/Municipalities
- Social assistance recipients and their dependents
- Targeted child and adult populations (e.g., low income families)
- Targeted disabled and institutionalised populations (e.g., those in long-term care)
Universities and Other Non Governmental Organisations
- Universities and social welfare groups deliver care to a variety of marginalised populations through their clinics, either with provincial financing or through the billing of associated public dental plans.