Dental Care Access – A Refugee Lens*
Canada is known for opening its doors to refugees, but welcoming people is just the beginning. What happens after they arrive is often overlooked. Even here, in a country that promotes itself as inclusive and supportive, many refugees struggle to access basic services, especially dental care. The reality is that getting proper oral health support in Canada is not easy for anyone without private insurance, and for refugees, the process is even harder. People arriving from regions of war often lack the necessary documents to navigate bureaucratic systems quickly, which delays everything, from obtaining a health card to finding a provider. Additionally, employment is usually tied to dental coverage, but many newcomers struggle to find stable jobs immediately. Unlike medical care, dental services are rarely prioritized or guaranteed, which makes these barriers even more severe.
The process of accessing healthcare as a refugee in Canada is deeply layered and often misunderstood. One of the biggest barriers isn’t just paperwork or bureaucracy, but public perception. There’s a widespread belief that refugees and asylum seekers receive endless benefits the moment they arrive, which fuels resentment and stigma. In reality, most are met with uncertainty, long delays, and systemic neglect. Dental care, already difficult to access for uninsured Canadians, becomes even more difficult for refugees, who are often navigating legal limbo.
The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) is supposed to cover essential services for newcomers, but it is time-limited, inconsistently applied, and poorly explained. Many healthcare providers do not accept it, or do not even know what it covers. On top of that, not everyone is granted refugee status; many are denied and face the risk of being sent back to unsafe conditions, often without ever receiving proper care in Canada.
Consider a case of a woman from Afghanistan who was referred to a dentist in Toronto. Though she had IFHP insurance, she was told her root canal would cost $1200, which was not covered. With no income and no way to pay, she chose not to get treatment done and instead lived with pain. Another refugee from Honduras needed a $3000 jaw treatment but could not afford it, leading to insomnia and chronic headaches. Both stories mirror a larger trend: refugees are forced to choose between pain and poverty. The numbers further reinforce this trend: 33% of immigrants in Canada did not visit the dentist in the past year, and 25% visited only for emergencies. In addition, 85% of Bhutanese adult refugees in Canada had untreated tooth decay, compared to just 20% of the general population.
Once refugees begin the process of seeking care, they’re met with another layer of barriers: backlogs, wait lists, and confusing administrative steps that delay treatment even further. Many provinces still enforce waiting periods before newcomers can access full health coverage, and while some exceptions exist, they are inconsistently applied. Dental care, already excluded from most provincial health plans, falls through the cracks entirely. Even those eligible for limited coverage through IFHP face long waits to be seen, partly because so few clinics accept the program and even fewer are equipped to manage the complex needs of newcomers. Receiving refugee status is lengthy, often taking up to two years, and sometimes extending to three if appeal hearings are involved. Providers who do offer care often face delays in reimbursement from federal agencies, discouraging them from participating. Meanwhile, community health centres and volunteer-run dental clinics, which address some of these gaps, are underfunded and overwhelmed, especially in regions with large newcomer populations. These delays lead to worsening conditions, with dental pain and infection left untreated for months, if not longer. Unfortunately, there are not enough publicly run dental clinics, and existing systems make it difficult to provide care for people who cannot afford the private payer model.
Dental care is still largely privatized, with most people accessing it through employer-sponsored insurance plans. Stable, full-time employment, especially jobs that offer benefits, is often out of reach due to language barriers, lack of credential recognition, and discrimination. Many newcomers are pushed into low-wage, precarious, or cash-based jobs that don’t come with health benefits. Even those with advanced degrees or skilled backgrounds struggle to find employment that reflects their qualifications. A visit to the dentist for a cleaning, let alone a root canal or extraction, can cost hundreds of dollars out of pocket, an impossible expense for people already navigating such a drastic change. Canada’s system assumes stable employment provides dental coverage, yet refugees are least likely to secure these jobs.
Untreated oral health issues can lead to infections, difficulties eating, chronic pain, and nutritional deficiencies. For children, this can mean missed school days and trouble concentrating; for adults, it can interfere with work and social life. But the effects don’t stop there; the toll on mental health is significant. Refugees often arrive in Canada already coping with trauma. Adding to this, the shame or embarrassment of visible dental issues can take a toll on mental health. Studies have shown that many refugees delay seeking care not just because of cost, but because they feel judged or unwelcome in clinical spaces. Dental care should be about dignity and confidence as much as it is about function, and when people are excluded from it, it sends a message that their well-being is not a priority. For those fleeing sudden conflict or persecution, arriving in a country that claims to offer support while disregarding health accessibility is disheartening.
According to Canada’s immigration targets, 395,000 new permanent resident are expected in the coming year, many of whom are refugees or asylum seekers. Without reform, an even greater number will face the challenges that come with accessing dental care. Despite systemic gaps, there are grassroots efforts working to address this crisis. Volunteer-run clinics, such as those supported by community health centres in Toronto and Ottawa, provide important emergency services. Organizations like the Refugee Health Network, Canadian Dental Association, and various migrant oral health initiatives have long called for more culturally competent care, better training for oral health providers, and stable funding for IFHP-eligible patients.
As we have repeatedly mentioned throughout these blogs, dental care is not a luxury; it is a necessity. If Canada wants to live up to its values of compassion and inclusion, it must ensure that those fleeing war and crisis are not met with silence in the dental chair. Fixing the gaps in oral healthcare access is about ensuring equality, good health, and dignity for everyone. Canada cannot claim compassion while dental care remains out of reach, closing these gaps is essential to dignity and equity.
*This post reflects the author’s personal experiences and perspectives. It is intended to spark dialogue and does not represent the official position of Solidarity Dental Foundation.
Authors: Yara Shaban and Ashleen Parmar