More one in four Canadians avoided dental care due to cost, with young adults and uninsured individuals most affected
A new Statistics Canada study titled ‘Cost-related avoidance of oral health services’ reveals that in 2023/2024, more than one in four Canadians (28 percent) did not visit an oral health care professional in the past 12 months.
Among those who did not seek oral health care, nearly half (49 percent) cited cost as the primary barrier.
Overall, 24 percent of Canadians aged 12 and older avoided visiting an oral health professional at least once due to cost, even if they visited at other times.
This figure remains consistent with findings from 2018 (22 percent) and 2022 (24 percent). At the household level, approximately one-third (32 percent) of Canadian households had at least one member who avoided dental visits due to cost concerns.
Among households that avoided dental care for financial reasons, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) reported they could not afford the amount not covered by insurance.
Another 25 percent indicated they could not afford to pay upfront and wait for reimbursement.
The study highlights that both insurance coverage and income levels significantly influence cost-related avoidance of dental visits.
In 2023/2024, 45 percent of Canadians without dental insurance avoided dental care due to cost—almost four times higher than those with public and/or private insurance (12 percent).
Income levels also play a role. Households with an adjusted family net income (AFNI) under $90,000 (33 percent) were nearly three times as likely to avoid dental care due to cost than those earning $90,000 or more (12 percent).
Among the higher-income group, cost-related avoidance remained high (30 percent) among those without dental insurance.
Young adults aged 18 to 34 reported the highest rates of cost-related dental avoidance, with 32 percent skipping dental visits due to financial concerns.
This is significantly higher than the rates among adolescents aged 12 to 17 (7 percent), adults aged 35 to 49 (24 percent), and those aged 50 to 64 (21 percent).
The study notes that young adults often work in part-time, contract, or self-employed roles, which typically lack health benefits.
Women (27 percent) were more likely than men (22 percent) to report cost as a barrier to dental visits.
The disparity was even more pronounced among young women aged 18 to 34, where 38 percent cited cost as a deterrent compared to 27 percent of young men in the same age group.
The study found that racialized Canadians (33 percent) were more likely than non-racialized Canadians (21 percent) to avoid visiting an oral health professional due to cost.
The same trend applied to avoiding recommended care, with 28 percent of racialized Canadians compared to 19 percent of non-racialized Canadians reporting cost as a barrier. These differences persisted even after accounting for income and insurance.
Persons with disabilities also reported higher levels of cost-related avoidance.
In 2023/2024, 36 percent of persons with disabilities avoided dental visits due to cost, compared with 22 percent of those without disabilities.
Additionally, 31 percent of persons with disabilities reported cost as a barrier to obtaining recommended dental care, compared with 20 percent of those without disabilities.
The findings highlight persistent financial barriers to oral health care in Canada, particularly for uninsured individuals, lower-income households, young adults, racialized communities, and persons with disabilities.
As cost remains a key factor preventing access to necessary dental services, the data underscores the need for continued discussions around affordability and accessibility in oral health care.
