dental misinformation?

[shokan]

Hi, I have received ODSP benefits since May 2010. I need dental work
(root canals), but I was told by Parkdale Community Health Centre on
Queen West Toronto, that only extractions and cleaning are covered,
that regular dentists do not accept ODSP patients, that the cleaning
and extractions are done only at specified Community Health Centres
and, finally, that there is always a fee.

This doesn't sound right. Where can I get all the dental benefits
listed in one document and in simple language that I can understand?

Thanks.

[Mister2u]

I've had a friend who had root canals covered by ODSP.You may
have trouble finding dentists to accept ODSP but they do exist.
Most communities have a dental clinic so if you can't find a dentist
or don't want to bother looking for one,you should use that.I'm not
sure about the fee.Maybe someone here can help you find a Toronto
dentist.

[corrinna]

I was also told ODSP does not pay for root canals, so
I had them pulled.

--------------------------------------------------
From: "shokan" <sho...@gmail.com>

[Mister2u]

Here are a couple of links
http://www.georgebrown.ca/clinic/faq.aspx#ODSP
http://www.toronto.ca/socialservices/healthcosts.htm
They may not be much good for root canals which
are a specialized field.

[Fibrofog]

ODSP DOES cover root canals, scaling and other dental issues. I've had
one root canal already and likely looking at another. Anyone who tells
you otherwise doesn't know what they're talking about. I go to a
"regular" dentist at a regular dental office, unfortunately I am in
London not Toronto so I can't help with finding a dentist but I would
suggest just start calling dental offices and asking if they take ODSP
recipients. I've never been denied dental treatment because of being
on social assistance.

[aline legault]

i was told by a dental office
to report those dentists who charge over and above what odsp pays
who to? the dental association?
they have no right no refuse odsp patients apparently.
and dental fillings and cleaning are covered I know that anyways.
does anyone know of a report online to show what dental work is covered??
good luck

 aline
have a blessed day

[Uppity Woman]

Root canals are covered, but the crowns are not. Attached is a document of dental benefits.   Uppity       -------Original Message-------

[Dr. Zaki]

Hello

FYI:

Regular dentists do accept patients on ODSP.

ODSP does cover root canals. They also pay for fillings.

They do not pay to have a root canal redone.

Usually there is no additional charge.

There may be a charge if the procedure is not covered by ODSP for
example crowns, or if there is a limitation.

In Toronto, the City of Toronto will pay for dentures, for patients on
ODSP and OW.

Hope this helps.

Dr. Zaki

On Nov 26, 1:44 pm, shokan <shok...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Uppity Woman]

I sent in the schedule of dental procedures a few days ago. Did you get it? I can send it again if you didn't.   Uppity       -------Original Message-------

[Blakiepoo]

Ontario Works has "Emergency dental care".
ODSP has "Basic Dental Care".

I had a root canal while on Ontario works and I think it was ~50%
covered. So ODSP should cover all ore more of the cost at least.

I was told that I should have a tooth crowned. Is it at least co-
paid?

Oh, and cleanings every 9 months are covered, as are cavities with
freezing.

[JM]

ODSP will cover for the root canal work to be completed. However, they will not cover for crowns or bridges.
I've had plenty of root canals done while I was put to sleep.

You just hand your dental card to the dentist or oral surgeon. They should know that this is covered already btw.

Hope this helps.

[Cindy S-C]

to the op, sounds like you may not live that far from me. i had a
root canal and tooth re-building covered by odsp by the dentist that i
found who accepted me while on odsp. he treated me, and then my two
children, as if we had the best dental plan in the world, not like we
were horrible people, as has been my previous experience. i still had
four more appointments to go with him last winter when i fell into a
deep depression. so, i'm hoping to start again soon, which will be a
year since i saw him anyway and have the kids have their check-ups.
he even fixed a tooth of my son's that the dentist we previously had,
when we were on ontario works basically butchered and put a pin in,
which was really ugly. anyway, this dentist did something
differently.
~
if you would like to contact me via e-mail i can give you his name and
phone number. he is at runnymede and bloor.

[Blakiepoo]

I didn't know they still put patients to sleep. All I could get is
the gas that makes you space out and a ton of freezing.

[vicky swerbrick]

i have a dentist and i have a fake tooth and i need a new one and odsp wont
fix it because its cosmetic .i had this tooth since i was 21 and now im 45

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[Vintage]

After reading all the various comments here about dental
misinformation, I'm fairly positive this is another of those things
that is at the discretion of the individual regional offices. The
experience I've had over the past 8 years of being on ODSP and having
major dental problems, well it is definitely far different than what
I've read here!!

In TWO regions, I was denied root canals, or any form of trying to
"save" any teeth. The would ONLY cover "basic dental care" - which in
my case meant extractions since they wouldn't cover for anything other
than that. Yes my teeth were/are in very bad shape, and some have
literally fallen out of my mouth at times, but ODSP would not cover
any form or kind of dental work on my teeth or gums
whatsoever....other than fillings or extractions. That was it! And
that's not just coming from the dentists themselves, but from ODSP too
when I contacted them to ask about it.

The one region I lived in, not one dentist would touch me because I
was on ODSP. Just before I moved to where I live now, it was in this
same area that I found ONE dentist that would take me on. And he's
been great.... well as great as he can be within the limitations ODSP
imposes. So I obviously go to him when I need dental work.

So I would think it's probably best to check with your own ODSP
office .... I know, I know that's an almost useless thing to try do to
get straight answers.... as the overall "directives" are NOT as
province-wide as they claim they are!!

[JM]

Yes. I have plenty of root canals and also extractions. I admit my teeth are in very bad shape.

I have a real bonafide phobia of dentists, and every single one I have seen told me that gas and being put under is covered under ODSP. It is a general group policy.
The only issue I have had with being put under is that ODSP will only cover 1.5 hours (hour and a half) of time in one sitting. So for my last surgery which included 3 root canals which was going to take 3 hours, I had to break into two different appointments in order to comply with dental coverage.

[Lorene]

Oh yeah, they do put me to sleep. But the difference is if I had to
have wisdom tooth removed, it cannot be done at the dentist's office.
It had to be done by a dental surgeon. I had my wisdom teeth removed 3
different times - 2 in the dental surgeon building and one in the
hospital, oh yeah, I forgot one more time when I had a small tumor
inside my cheek. (The tumor was non cancerous, whew!!!) I was put to
sleep 4 times. Reason why I was in hospital is because the tooth was
close to the nerve roots and that it was dangerous to remove at the
dental surgeon's office.

I have never had a root canal. What does a root canal do? I mean what
is the purpose of having one? I am curious about that.

Lorene

[Blakiepoo]

The tooth (well molars) are kind of shaped like tables with 4 legs at
the bottom. The legs are thicker of course, becauce the tooth and the
legs are filled with nerve tissue (which pains you when a cavity is
getting close to the tissue).

So a root canal is when the doc drills way down into the tooth so that
the nerve tissue is exposed. S/he then scoops that evil nerve stuff
out, including scraping it out of the "legs" of the tooth.

When it's all out, s/he packs that space with up. There are these
little sticks they put down into the legs, and probably filling
material on top of the tooth until it looks like new.

Since all of the nerve tissue is gone from the tooth, you will never
feel pain from it again. I kind of wish I could be put to sleep and
have root canals in all of my teeth so I'd never get sensitivity or
pain again!

When I had mine done, I made him give me tons of freezing and I didn't
feel anything throughout the procedure.

[Cindy S-C]

vintage, the one tooth the i needed a root canal on, it actually fell
apart. the dentist somehow built it up from nothing. this was on
odsp last year.
~
i did report a dentist in belleville for refusing to take my son
because we were on ontario works at the time. my daughter was already
a patient. the answer i got back from whoever i reported him to was
that they only have to take so many ow/odsp clients, so too bad for my
son. at any rate, i ended up finding another great dentist in
belleville.
~
the tooth is really built up from nothing and i don't understand with
what or how he did it. it doesn't come quite to the top of my other
bottom teeth, but it's better than being toothless. in fact, i had
lost a tooth (extraction because ontario works wouldn't pay for a root
canal just six months before my odsp kicked in) and my dentist did say
that he would try to do something about that space as well. i am not
too worried about the missing teeth, back molars on the top. but this
other one that he said that he would work on, it's closer to the front
and i'm very self conscious about it.
~
the thing i am really thankful for is that we have some sort of plan
at least. i have not had proper dental care since 1994 and you can
end up wandering around looking like a toothless crackhead simply
because you don't have the $ to get the work done. the dentist that
extracted the tooth i needed the root canal on, while i was on ontario
works, couldn't figure out why i couldn't afford to have the root
canal. oh, i don't know, christmas was coming up?

[Blakiepoo]

Yeah, I'm SO grateful we have some dental coverage. I hadn't been to
the dentist in 7 years (maybe more), and in that time I let them get
pretty bad. I can't take care of myself in general like I need to,
and teeth are a testament to that.

About teeth breaking, when I get work done, they put this metal hoop
around my tooth that holds it together in case of breaking. I'm
pretty sure my one did on my last tooth, and they used filling
material to "glue" it together, but it's still sensitive.