Healthy Smiles Ontario 2024 Explained by Our Dentists in Kitchener, Waterloo
With the cost of living increasing at a rapid rate in Canada, not everyone can afford to pay for dental services. Because of this, the Government of Canada has introduced various programs to help those in need.
Healthy Smiles Ontario is one such program that ensures that children under 18 can get proper dental care.
Our dentists in Kitchener, Waterloo, have created this comprehensive guide to help you understand what dental coverage you can get for your children under this program.
What is the Healthy Smiles Program in Ontario: An Overview
Healthy Smiles Ontario (HSO) is a free dental program created by the government for children aged 17 and under from low-income households. The primary purpose of this program is to ensure that kids can develop good oral health habits and visit the dentist regularly.
Doing this will ensure that kids can seek dental care for issues before they become significant. Services covered under HSO can include dental exams, preventative services, routine checkups, and more.
Let's dive even further into this dental program for kids from low-income households.
How to Apply for Healthy Smiles Ontario Online
There are three streams to Healthy Smiles Ontario, and you can apply to them depending on the eligibility criteria and other factors. We have discussed each stream in detail to help you learn how to apply for Healthy Smiles Ontario online:
Stream 1: Core Healthy Smiles Ontario
The Core Healthy Smiles Ontario stream is income-based and will provide routine dental services for eligible kids. Let’s review this stream in detail.
Core Healthy Smiles Ontario Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the Core stream of Healthy Smiles Ontario, children must meet the following eligibility criteria, which also includes meeting the income eligibility criteria. Eligible children must be:
Living in Ontario.
Seventeen years or younger.
Living in a low-income household. One child's household income must be $24,930 or lower. Two children's household income must be $26,817 or lower, and three children's household income must be $28,703 or lower.
Children will be automatically eligible for Healthy Smiles Ontario if they are enrolled in Ontario Disability Support, Ontario Works, Temporary Care Assistance, or Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities.
If the above eligibility criteria is met, then children will be eligible for the Core stream of Healthy Smiles Ontario.
Dental Coverage under the Core Stream of Healthy Smiles Ontario
The Core stream of Healthy Smiles Ontario offers extensive dental coverage. These include a full range of routine and preventive services at no cost for kids.
These include the following:
Dental checkups and exams
X-rays
Fluoride treatment
Sealants
Cavity fillings (silver and tooth-colored)
Root canal surgery
Root canal posts
Pins
Indirect crowns (only for permanent teeth)
Prefabricated crowns
Tooth extractions
Full dentures
Partial dentures for permanent anterior teeth replacement only
Gum surgery
Fixed bridges for permanent anterior teeth replacement
Lab fees
Dental coverage not included under Healthy Smiles Ontario includes braces, dental implants, cosmetic treatments, and teeth whitening.
How to Apply for the Core Services Stream of Healthy Smiles Ontario
There are three main ways you can apply for the Core stream of Healthy Smiles Ontario. These include the following:
Pick up the application form from a location of Service Ontario or a local public health unit.
Download the Healthy Smiles Ontario application. Complete the form and mail it to this address: Healthy Smiles Ontario, 33 King Street West, PO Box 645, Oshawa, ON, L1H 8X1.
Fill out the Healthy Smiles Ontario application online. You will need to fill in your children's date of birth, Ontario address, your TTN or SIN, and previous year's tax filings.
For the third way mentioned above, your application must be approved. After that, you will receive the HSO dental card in your mail.
Whenever you visit your dental provider, you will have to show this card to receive care under this program.
Renewing the Healthy Smiles Ontario Application
The dental card by Healthy Smiles Ontario will provide you with benefits for a full year between August 1 and July 31 or until the child’s 18th birthday (whichever comes first).
The expiry date of the card will be written on the front. Enrollment in the dental program will go through an automatic reassessment each year.
Healthy Smiles Ontario Service Providers
Not all dentists will accept Healthy Smiles Ontario. However, there are many that do, and you will have to find out which ones are providing the service in your region.
We recommend you contact local dentists in Kitchener, and find out whether their dental clinic is offering this dental program.
The reason many dental clinics in Kitchener will not offer this program is because it is challenging for them to administer because of various restrictions.
So, before you select a dentist, be sure to get in touch and find out whether they are participating in this government-funded dental program.
Stream 2: HSO Emergency and Essential Services Stream (EESS)
The second stream for Healthy Smiles Ontario is the emergency and essential services. These include essential and emergency dental needs of children from low-income households.
Let’s discuss this stream in detail:
EESS Healthy Smiles Ontario Eligibility Criteria
You will be eligible for HSO EESS if you meet the following eligibility criteria. For kids to be eligible for this program, they must be:
17 years or younger
Residents of Ontario
Able to show evidence of financial hardship
Having a clinical need that qualifies for emergency dental care
Now, you might wonder what comes under emergency dental care to qualify for this stream. Emergency services include toothache, pain, infection, abscesses, trauma to the tooth, deep cavity, and lost fillings.
You will also need to prove financial hardship to qualify for this stream. The child or family’s income must be equivalent to a level at which they would be in receipt of the Ontario Child Benefit.
Other than the above, another way you could prove financial hardship is by providing evidence that paying for dental care would lead to an inability of:
Paying mortgage or rent.
Paying household bills.
Buying groceries for the family.
Not making ends meet. This means that the family will need to seek help from a food bank to provide food for the family.
You must carefully go through each of these to determine whether you meet the eligibility criteria, and then opt for the HSO program.
Dental Coverage under the Emergency and Essential Services Stream of Healthy Smiles Ontario
The emergency and essential services stream has various dental coverage options for which you can opt. These include the following:
Tooth infection
Broken or knocked out tooth because of trauma
Deep cavity
Lost fillings
Pain and toothache
If your child needs any dental coverage out of these options for an emergency, then you can use Healthy Smiles Ontario.
How to Apply for the Emergency and Essential Services Stream of Healthy Smiles Ontario
One of the easiest ways to apply for EESS under Healthy Smiles Ontario is to contact your nearest dental clinic in Kitchener. Then, ask them whether they participate in it so they can apply for emergency care as soon as possible.
On the other hand, if you don’t have a dentist in Kitchener that participates in this program, then you can connect with your local public health unit for help.
To apply for this stream, the child will have to meet the financial hardship and clinical criteria that we have discussed above. Your Public Health Unit or dentist will determine the eligibility of the youth and then help with completing the application form.
The party will also ask you questions about how you and your family will be affected if you pay for the dental treatment.
Children or youth who receive emergency care through this program are covered for twelve months from the date of enrollment.
Stream 3: Preventive Services Only Stream
The preventive services stream under Healthy Smiles Ontario is only delivered through Public Health Unit Clinics. You cannot apply for this stream because children will be clinically eligible for it through Public Health Unit screening activities.
These units will notify the parents or guardians whether the child qualifies and will offer assistance with enrolling into this stream.
Under this stream, the dental coverage will include a topical fluoride pit, scaling, fissure sealants, and temporary stabilization therapy.
Healthy Smiles Ontario Contact Information
If you want to get in touch or begin applying for this program, then you can connect with Healthy Smiles Ontario. Here is the contact information you will need to know about:
Healthy Smiles Ontario Phone Number
Here are some Healthy Smiles Ontario phone numbers we recommend you connect with:
Toronto Public Health Units: 311 for the nearest unit next to you
Peel Public Health Unit: 905-799-7700 and 905-584-2216
Ottawa Public Health Unit: 613-580-6744 and 613-580-9656
Middlesex-London Health Unit: (519) 663-5317 ext. 2231
Hamilton Public Health Unit: 905-546-2489
Waterloo Public Health Unit: 519-575-4400 ext. 13304
Niagara Region Public Health Unit: 905-688-8248 and 1-800-263-7248 ext. 7399 (for Kitchener and Cambridge)
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health: 1-800-265-7291 ext. 2661
Healthy Smiles Ontario Locations Address
You can visit the Ministry of Health in Ontario for any queries related to Healthy Smiles Ontario. The address is 164 Queen St E #108a, Brampton, ON L6V1B4, Canada.
You can also visit any local public health unit near you by using the public health unit locator to help you find a unit nearest to you.
Healthy Smiles Ontario Application Form PDFs
To help you with the application process, we have provided you with the application form PDFs that will be useful to you:
These are the PDFs you will need. The General Application form is for the core services stream.
On the other hand, if you want to know more about payments and fees, then you can visit the fee guide.
FAQs
Who can be a guarantor for Healthy Smiles in Ontario?
The guarantor must be a Canadian citizen of 18 years who can confirm the age and identity.
How do I renew my Healthy Smiles application in Ontario?
You must fill out the Healthy Smiles Ontario Renewal Form and submit it to your nearest public health unit.
Is there free dental care in Canada?
There are four federal government dental plans that you can opt for free dental care in Canada. The government is also working on introducing new programs to make dental care more accessible to residents.
Contact Our Dentists in Kitchener, Waterloo for More Information
Healthy Smiles Ontario is a great solution for youth who are eligible to get these benefits. If you are eligible, you can fill out the application form and begin getting dental care for your kids.
For more information, you can get in touch with out dentists in Kitchener, Waterloo. We will be more than happy to help you with what you require.