The Ontario Dental Association says another $50-million is needed in provincial funding to support a program that provides care to kids under 17 from low-income families.
That program is Healthy Smiles Ontario.
Right now, dentists across the province treat over 254,000 children through the program, but they said more must be done to care for a total of 530,000 eligible kids.
And, it said three other major programs that cover low-income adults, seniors and those with disabilities are also underfunded.
"Dentists have been subsidizing public dental programs by as much as $150-million a year," said ODA President, Dr. Kim Hansen. "This is a serious problem that can't be ignored any longer."
She recently met with Premier Doug Ford and made a formal request for the province to fix its dental programs.
Health units are rolling out the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Progam, but Hansen said there is a lot of confusion, especially among patients. The association fears low-income seniors are forced to leave their current dentist to travel long distances for treatment at government facilities with practitioners who do not know their health or dental history.
"The cost of ignoring the dental needs of the most vulnerable members of our communities is much higher than the price of properly funding these programs," said Hansen.