Sudbury playwright and performer falls through gaps in dental coverage as health issues mount | CBC News

A Sudbury, Ont. playwright and drag performer has turned to fundraising to be able to afford to fix extensive dental repairs caused by a myriad of other health issues.

Garrett Carr, 32, says they have always known the importance of oral care, but their routine got derailed in their early twenties.

They attribute undiagnosed mental health issues, substance use and then diabetes, combined with aging out of their parents’ dental insurance as factors that led to their current crisis.

“Having unmanaged and undiagnosed mental health challenges also led to burnout at work because I didn’t know what was going on,” they said.

“And so I would just push through and then ultimately I would be physically unwell because of that. So that led to me not being able to work, which means I couldn’t afford the dentist. It’s a vicious cycle.”

Carr said the situation suddenly worsened about a year ago when they started losing teeth altogether.

They said they have 12 left of the typical 32 that adults have.

Carr said their condition is so poor they’ll have to be pulled and they’ll be fitted with full dentures.

They’ve been told the procedures will cost almost $10,000.

Carr is not yet eligible for the federal dental insurance that is just being rolled out to seniors this year.

As an Ontario Works client, the majority of Carr’s dental work would be covered, but they say they can’t find a dentist willing to take them on as a patient.

Carr said their caseworker told them dentists are not reimbursed in full for work they do for people on Ontario Works, and are reluctant to take on clients who need extensive care.

So Carr turned to fundraising as a last resort especially as their health deteriorated.

It’s been months since they’ve been able to chew solid food and it’s gotten to the point where drinking is painful, so is taking medication and sleeping is difficult..

That’s not to mention the impact on socializing and performing.

“There was a time where I was concerned about the look,” they said.

“Obviously the aesthetic, you know, as a drag queen, it’s a very visual art form and not just being a director, but hosting a talk show on Eastlink Community TV, you know, I was embarrassed about what it would look like. But now it’s more how I sound. There’s some letters that I just straight up can’t pronounce.”

Carr goes on to say that they are no longer the social butterfly they used to be.

“I am rarely in public anymore because I don’t want people looking at my empty, janky mouth.” 

That is about to change though as Carr embarks on the dental care so urgently needed.

They haven’t yet raised all of the money needed but is overwhelmed by the people who have contributed.

Ontario Dental Association says it’s advocating for better funding

Carr they’re hopeful and excited about their future, but there is some lingering anger at their situation.

“Our healthcare isn’t as universal as people might like to think it is,” they said.

The Ontario Dental Association (ODA) said in a statement that it believes everyone should be able to access high quality, appropriate and timely oral health care.

ODA President, Dr. Brock Nicolucci, who is also a practising dentist in London, Ont. said Ontario’s public dental programs fall very short when it comes to ensuring access for people on programs like Ontario Works and ODSP. 

By simply participating, he said, dentists have been subsidizing provincial public programs by as much as $150 million a year.   

“We have entered negotiations with the government of Ontario related to the province’s dental care programs, including Healthy Smiles Ontario, the Ontario Disability Support Program, and the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program,” said Nicolucci.

“This is a historic step in our decades of advocacy for better funding for these programs, which includes fair remuneration for the dentists who provide the care.”