Canada’s health minister visits Windsor to promote accessible and affordable dental care

From left to right, Smile Wagon founder-operator and dental hygienist Navjeet Gill, Minister of Health Mark Holland, and MP Irek Kusmierczyk in the mobile dental van on June 25, 2024. (Gary Archibald/CTV News Windsor)

Making dental healthcare accessible to Windsorites was the focus of the federal Minister of Health's visit to the Rose City Tuesday afternoon.

Minister Mark Holland met the media at MP Irek Kusmierczyk's east Windsor riding office Tuesday afternoon.

On hand was the Smile Wagon, a mobile dental care service van owned and operated by Windsor-based local dental hygienist Navjeet Gill.

Gill’s mobile platform is a business model that the federal government believes will not only make dentistry attainable to many more people, but also make it much more convenient – especially for seniors and those who have health and mobility challenges.

The trio addressed the media to talk about the positive response from the community and Canadians in general to the program that makes dental health more accessible for people with and without health insurance.

For Holland, it’s a move in the right direction to get those in need this vital healthcare service. It’s also a program that opposed by the Conservative Party of Canada.

"There are very real consequences, the Conservative government is going to cut this and a lot more,” said Holland. “We've seen what Conservative governments do to healthcare and unfortunately it's going to mean we lose all the progress we're making. But, we're not deterred by that [and] I think that being out there everyday focusing on patients, making sure people get the care that they need is our job."

Smile Wagon offers teeth cleaning, whitening, oral exams, and other services.

In addition to direct billing to all insurance companies, the company also provides billing service for the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program, Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).