Most of us are aware enough that we take anything we read on Facebook with a grain of salt, but I was still surprised Friday morning when I saw the reaction to a question from a Coast resident asking about the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
And, it wasn’t so much the fact that some of the people commenting knew very little about it, but rather the criticism it was receiving. I chalked a few of the comments up to the anti-Trudeau gang, who spew venom at any mention of anything even vaguely related to the federal government. One even suggested the federal government pays for dentists to be trained, and somehow managed to create a conspiracy theory out of the dental plan. Spoiler alert: with the exception of earned scholarships or bursaries, dentists pay for their own schooling.
Meanwhile, others were simply critical of the fact that instead of having to pay $200 for a treatment at the dentist, they might -- or might not -- have to pay the remaining $20 if there is an extra cost.
Then there were, what have become known as, the proponents of “whataboutism.” If you’re on social media at all, you’ll know what I’m talking about. They’re the ones who respond to every post with, “But what about…” “It’s a beautiful day.” “Yeah, but what about me?” “So glad these dogs found a home.” “But what about the cats?”
Whataboutism was on full display the day I attended an information session on the new dental plan back in July at the Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre. There were several instances of it, but the most egregious was the man who accused Patrick Weiler, Liberal MP for the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky, who had taken the time to come and speak about the plan, and the federal government, of making up the program simply to gain votes. The man’s determined attitude was, his wife needed dentures and since they weren’t covered under the plan until November, three months later, the entire initiative was a complete lie and waste of time.
As a journalist, I’m not really supposed to comment on anything I’m covering, but once you get to a certain age, and after about the fifth time he loudly proclaimed the plan was of no use, I said something to the effect of, “Your wife might not be able to get her dentures this month, but there are a whole lot of families across the country right now, who are very happy to have the coverage.”
I’m lucky I now have a dental plan with my employer, but previous to that I was working as a freelance content writer with no benefits for several years, and would have been absolutely thrilled to have access to dental care for free or at a fraction of the cost.
Of note, in the first six months of the plan, a million Canadians have received dental care. And, as of Nov. 1, those who qualify can request pre-authorization for procedures such as crowns and the initial placement of partial dentures, as well as what the program deems high-need or complex conditions.
There’s a saying, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” which seems highly appropriate for these Facebook contrarians. I have a suggestion. You don’t like the new dental plan? Pay for your own dentist visits. That’ll show ‘em!
This also seems like a good time to re-post my lengthy breakdown of the plan, offering, what I hope, is some useful information.
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