Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe announces over $2.6M for Cambrian College to help access to oral health care – December 5

SUDBURY – Today, Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury announced over $2.6 million in funding for Cambrian College to develop Northeastern Ontario’s first Level II dental assisting program. This investment will directly impact and improve training and education for oral health students by allowing them to obtain the hands-on experience they need, while strengthening efforts to improve access to care.

“Today’s announcement is great news for families in our region. With new investments in training at Cambrian College, we’re strengthening our local health workforce and ensuring more people can get the dental care they need close to home,” said Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury. “I’m proud to see our community benefit from programs, like the OHAF and the CDCP, which are building a healthier future for Canadians.”

This project is part of the broader investment of more than $35 million over three years for 30 projects under the Oral Health Access Fund (OHAF). The OHAF supports projects that reduce and remove barriers to oral health care for targeted populations and is designed to complement the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).

“The creation of our new Dental Simulation Lab, and the reintroduction of a new Dental Assisting program embody exactly what our new Strategic Plan says we should do,” explains Janice Clarke, Cambrian’s Vice-President Academic. “We are evolving our programs and adopting innovative technologies to meet the demand for more skilled workers in the field of dental care, and in doing so, we are delivering education that sets up our students to succeed in this career path.”

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Quick Facts: 

• All eligible Canadians can apply to the CDCP. To qualify, applicants must:

• • Not have access to dental insurance
  • Have filed their individual 2024 tax return in Canada (and their spouse’s or common-law partner’s, if applicable)
  • Have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000
  • Be a Canadian resident for tax purposes

• CDCP members who do not already have an oral health provider can consult Sun Life’s CDCP Provider Search to find one in their community.
• Close to 100% of active dentists, denturists, dental hygienists and dental specialists in Canada, including those in educational institutions, are caring for patients covered under the CDCP.
• Announced in Budget 2023, the OHAF is a grants and contributions program led by Health Canada and designed to complement the CDCP. The fund aims to expand access to oral health care by supporting projects that reduce or remove barriers to accessing oral health care for targeted populations.