Each week we will post a summary of interesting and representative 211 calls. This week, we have a connection from Manitoba.

Manitoba:

Dental and oral care is an essential component of health. There are not many people who have not experienced the pain of a bad toothache. Yet with the cost of dental care, many people cannot afford the essential dental care that they need. 211 Service Navigators know about affordable and even some free options for dental care. They will always look into options, so that their callers can get the essential care that they need.

A female older adult called 211 looking for assistance. She told the Service Navigator that she was looking for free or low-cost dental care. She said that she needed a root canal and did not have enough money to afford it.

The 211 Service Navigator let the client know that he would need to ask her a few questions about her situation in order to find the most appropriate programs to assist her. He asked about her income, where she was living and confirmed her age. After checking the eligibility of different programs, he provided her with three different options for dental care and gave her specific information on how to apply for them. He also let her know more about the upcoming Canada Dental Care Program that had been announced.