Ontario — Works Dental Coverage

Ontario Works had kept her housed and fed. But it couldn’t save her teeth. And without teeth, she wondered how many employers would ever hire her to wash dishes, answer phones, or smile at customers again.

“The tooth behind it is starting to shift,” the dentist added quietly. “If we pull this one, you might lose the next in five years. Chewing will get harder.” ontario works dental coverage

Maria looked away. Her smile was gone. But at least the infection was too. Ontario Works had kept her housed and fed

The clinic was one of three in Hamilton that still accepted OW patients. She’d called 14 others. Not taking new patients. Not taking social assistance. The reimbursement is too low. When she finally got through here, the receptionist’s voice was clipped: “Emergency extractions only. No fillings. No root canals.” “The tooth behind it is starting to shift,”

Leo held her hand. “Can we get ice cream now? Soft kind?”

Twenty minutes later, Maria walked out with a gauze pad stuffed against the raw, empty socket. The yellow Ontario Works card was tucked back in her wallet, next to an expired coupon for toothpaste.

Maria knew what that meant. The molar wasn’t just aching; it was cracked. A filling would cost $200. A root canal, $1,200. An extraction under OW? Free.