The impact of socioeconomics on the oral health of aging Canadians

Oral health is an important aspect of maintaining overall wellbeing. Dental services are not included as part of Canada’s provincial healthcare insurance plans and are paid for out-of-pocket. The most recent national report on oral health found that Canadians with lower income were almost two times more likely to have oral health treatment needs yet accessed dental services less than those with higher incomes. As Canada rolls out federal dental insurance, there is an urgent need for up-to-date research on the oral health of aging Canadians, particularly research that focuses on identifying risk factors and identifies how to support the most vulnerable populations (e.g., those with low income and without insurance). This project aims to provide an overview of the current status of oral health of older adults in Canada using the most up-to-date CLSA data to calculate the risk of remaining untreated or developing new oral health problems according to their sociodemographic status.