With the cost of living increasing at a rapid rate in Canada, not everyone can afford to pay for dental services. Because of this, the Government of Canada has introduced various programs to help those in need.
Healthy Smiles Ontario is one such program that ensures that children under 18 can get proper dental care.
Our dentists in Kitchener, Waterloo , have created this comprehensive guide to help you understand what dental coverage you can get for your children under this program.
Healthy Smiles Ontario (HSO) is a free dental program created by the government for children aged 17 and under from low-income households. The primary purpose of this program is to ensure that kids can develop good oral health habits and visit the dentist regularly.
Doing this will ensure that kids can seek dental care for issues before they become significant. Services covered under HSO can include dental exams, preventative services, routine checkups, and more.
Let's dive even further into this dental program for kids from low-income households.
There are three streams to Healthy Smiles Ontario, and you can apply to them depending on the eligibility criteria and other factors. We have discussed each stream in detail to help you learn how to apply for Healthy Smiles Ontario online:
The Core Healthy Smiles Ontario stream is income-based and will provide routine dental services for eligible kids. Let’s review this stream in detail.
To be eligible for the Core stream of Healthy Smiles Ontario, children must meet the following eligibility criteria, which also includes meeting the income eligibility criteria. Eligible children must be:
Children will be automatically eligible for Healthy Smiles Ontario if they are enrolled in Ontario Disability Support , Ontario Works , Temporary Care Assistance , or Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities .
If the above eligibility criteria is met, then children will be eligible for the Core stream of Healthy Smiles Ontario.
The Core stream of Healthy Smiles Ontario offers extensive dental coverage. These include a full range of routine and preventive services at no cost for kids.
These include the following:
Dental coverage not included under Healthy Smiles Ontario includes braces, dental implants, cosmetic treatments, and teeth whitening.
There are three main ways you can apply for the Core stream of Healthy Smiles Ontario. These include the following:
For the third way mentioned above, your application must be approved. After that, you will receive the HSO dental card in your mail.
Whenever you visit your dental provider, you will have to show this card to receive care under this program.
The dental card by Healthy Smiles Ontario will provide you with benefits for a full year between August 1 and July 31 or until the child’s 18th birthday (whichever comes first).
The expiry date of the card will be written on the front. Enrollment in the dental program will go through an automatic reassessment each year.
Not all dentists will accept Healthy Smiles Ontario. However, there are many that do, and you will have to find out which ones are providing the service in your region.
We recommend you contact local dentists in Kitchener , and find out whether their dental clinic is offering this dental program.
The reason many dental clinics in Kitchener will not offer this program is because it is challenging for them to administer because of various restrictions.
So, before you select a dentist, be sure to get in touch and find out whether they are participating in this government-funded dental program.
The second stream for Healthy Smiles Ontario is the emergency and essential services. These include essential and emergency dental needs of children from low-income households.
Let’s discuss this stream in detail:
You will be eligible for HSO EESS if you meet the following eligibility criteria. For kids to be eligible for this program, they must be:
Now, you might wonder what comes under emergency dental care to qualify for this stream. Emergency services include toothache, pain, infection, abscesses, trauma to the tooth, deep cavity, and lost fillings.
You will also need to prove financial hardship to qualify for this stream. The child or family’s income must be equivalent to a level at which they would be in receipt of the Ontario Child Benefit .
Other than the above, another way you could prove financial hardship is by providing evidence that paying for dental care would lead to an inability of:
You must carefully go through each of these to determine whether you meet the eligibility criteria, and then opt for the HSO program.
The emergency and essential services stream has various dental coverage options for which you can opt. These include the following:
If your child needs any dental coverage out of these options for an emergency, then you can use Healthy Smiles Ontario.
One of the easiest ways to apply for EESS under Healthy Smiles Ontario is to contact your nearest dental clinic in Kitchener . Then, ask them whether they participate in it so they can apply for emergency care as soon as possible.
On the other hand, if you don’t have a dentist in Kitchener that participates in this program, then you can connect with your local public health unit for help.
To apply for this stream, the child will have to meet the financial hardship and clinical criteria that we have discussed above. Your Public Health Unit or dentist will determine the eligibility of the youth and then help with completing the application form.
The party will also ask you questions about how you and your family will be affected if you pay for the dental treatment.
Children or youth who receive emergency care through this program are covered for twelve months from the date of enrollment.
The preventive services stream under Healthy Smiles Ontario is only delivered through Public Health Unit Clinics. You cannot apply for this stream because children will be clinically eligible for it through Public Health Unit screening activities.
These units will notify the parents or guardians whether the child qualifies and will offer assistance with enrolling into this stream.
Under this stream, the dental coverage will include a topical fluoride pit, scaling, fissure sealants, and temporary stabilization therapy.
If you want to get in touch or begin applying for this program, then you can connect with Healthy Smiles Ontario. Here is the contact information you will need to know about:
Here are some Healthy Smiles Ontario phone numbers we recommend you connect with:
You can visit the Ministry of Health in Ontario for any queries related to Healthy Smiles Ontario. The address is 164 Queen St E #108a, Brampton, ON L6V1B4, Canada.
You can also visit any local public health unit near you by using the public health unit locator to help you find a unit nearest to you.
To help you with the application process, we have provided you with the application form PDFs that will be useful to you:
These are the PDFs you will need. The General Application form is for the core services stream.
On the other hand, if you want to know more about payments and fees, then you can visit the fee guide.
The guarantor must be a Canadian citizen of 18 years who can confirm the age and identity.
You must fill out the Healthy Smiles Ontario Renewal Form and submit it to your nearest public health unit.
There are four federal government dental plans that you can opt for free dental care in Canada. The government is also working on introducing new programs to make dental care more accessible to residents.
Healthy Smiles Ontario is a great solution for youth who are eligible to get these benefits. If you are eligible, you can fill out the application form and begin getting dental care for your kids.
For more information, you can get in touch with out dentists in Kitchener , Waterloo. We will be more than happy to help you with what you require.
