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Healthy Smiles
If you cannot afford to pay for dental care for your children (ages 0-17), we have programs that can help.
Healthy Smiles Ontario is a government-funded dental program that provides free preventive, routine, and emergency dental services to eligible children and youth 17 and younger from low-income families.
There are 3 streams (versions) of the Healthy Smiles Ontario Program:
Healthy Smiles Ontario Core Stream (HSO Core) |
The eligibility for this version is based solely on household income Visit Healthy Smiles to see if your family is eligible and apply online. Eligible children aged 0-17 receive a dental card that renews yearly and provides dental coverage that is used like private dental insurance at the dentist of your choice. |
Healthy Smiles Ontario Emergency and Essential Services Stream |
The eligibility for this version is based on whether or not your child has a dental concern Your family must also be in receipt of an Ontario Child Tax Benefit Your child must be screened by a Health Unit Dental Hygienist and have an obvious dental concern Eligible children aged 0-17 receive a dental card valid for one year that provides dental coverage that is used like private dental insurance at the dentist of your choice. |
Healthy Smiles Ontario Preventive Services Only Stream (HSO-PSO) |
If your child is screened and does not have an obvious dental concern they can attend the Health Unit Dental Clinics for free preventive services. An HSO-PSO form is signed yearly for enrollment. Your family must be in receipt of an Ontario Child Tax Benefit We provide a dental home for your child until they have a dental concern and become HSO-EESS eligible. They can always return to HSO-PSO after a year of HSO-EESS. |