Oral Health Month: Exploring Canada’s Data

April is Oral Health Month in Canada, an opportunity to highlight the essential role oral health plays in our overall health and well-being. This month also provides an opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding care provided by Canada's six regulated oral health professions including dental therapists, dental assistants, denturists, dental technologists, dental hygienists, and dentists and thank them for the exceptional services they provide every day. 

To mark Oral Health Month, we've gathered key findings from the 2023 to 2024 Canadian Oral Health Survey (COHS).

If something sparks your interest and you'd like to explore further, check out the "Read More" section at the end of this publication! 

Key Findings

The 2023 to 2024 Canadian Oral Health Survey (COHS) found the following: 

• Three in four Canadians aged 12 and older (72.3%) reported having visited an oral health professional in the past year.
• Two-thirds (65.5%) of Canadians aged 12 and older had dental insurance.
  • Proportionally more Canadians with insurance (80.8%) than without (56.0%) reported having visited an oral health professional in the previous year.
  • Proportionally fewer adults aged 65 to 79 (38.0%) and 80 and older (25.1%) reported having dental insurance compared with younger age groups.
• Approximately 7 in 10 Canadians (70.5%) brushed their teeth or dentures at least two times a day, and 3 in 10 (30.0%) flossed at least five times a week.
• Just over one in four Canadians (26.4%) had mouth problems “sometimes or often” in the past 12 months, including having persistent or ongoing mouth pain (21.6%) or avoiding eating certain foods (15.6%).
• Moreover, 4.4% of Canadians aged 18 and older reported having no natural teeth (edentulism). The share was higher among those who had last visited an oral health professional one year ago or more (10.0%), compared with those who had visited in the past year (1.8%).
• A higher percentage of people with a disability than people without disabilities reported edentulism (11.3% vs. 3.5%) and mouth problems (46.2% vs. 23.8%)

Did you know?

The COHS is the first-ever national survey dedicated to oral health in Canada, collecting voluntary information directly from Canadians on their oral health. The survey was developed to address key oral health data gaps and help inform new federal investments in dental care, including the Canadian Dental Care Plan. The target population for the COHS consists of Canadian households with adults aged 18 and older, as well as all household members aged 17 and younger, living in private dwellings. Cycle 1 was conducted from November 2023 to March 2024. The survey covers several key aspects of oral health, including individuals’ ability to pay for oral health care, experiences with the oral health care system, challenges finding oral health services, self-reported oral health and care needs.

Read more

1. One in four Canadians aged 12 and older avoided oral health care services because of cost 
2. Oral health professionals in Canada, 2021 
3. Canadian Health Report, 2024.  

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