B.C. hospitals will perform 900 more dental surgeries over the next year for children and adults with developmental disabilities or complex medical conditions.
The total number of surgeries is expected to grow to 7,100 in 2018-19.
The dental work ranges from fillings, root canals, tooth extractions, crowns or dentures, scaling and polishing of teeth.
Faith Bodnar of Inclusion B.C. says it’s something we don’t think about but some elderly patients, those with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy or autism just can’t tolerate being in a dentists’ chair…..
In 2016-17 in the Island Health Authority, 20 per cent of patients waited more than 26 weeks for their dental surgery.
Dental treatments and surgeries are performed in 52 hospitals throughout the province, including in the Sechelt Hospital and Nanaimo Regional General.
