The Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry has received more than $6.1 million in federal funding to improve access to care for marginalized Manitobans and provide students with experience in caring for underserved populations.
Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, made the announcement at a media conference on UM's Fort Garry campus on Nov. 28. Dr. Doug Eyolfson, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg West, emceed the event.
"Infrastructure, housing, all of those things, those physical assets that we're building in our communities from coast to coast to coast are important, but investing in the health of Canadians matters just as much, if not more. Preventative dental care strengthens our health-care system, improves quality of life and builds a heathier, more productive Canada," Duguid said.
The funding for four UM projects is part of Health Canada's Oral Health Access Fund, which is designed to complement the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).
(From left to right) Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, and Dr. Doug Eyolfson, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg West.
The goal of the fund is to expand access to oral health care by supporting projects at Canadian dental schools and other institutions that reduce or remove non-financial barriers to accessing care for specific groups, including children, Indigenous Peoples, newcomers and seniors.
Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, said that there are too many Manitobans who are challenged in terms of accessing oral health care and many people sometimes suffer in silence.
"This funding really helps change that. By strengthening our ability to serve populations, such as unhoused people, newcomers, seniors, we're ensuring that our health is really not a privilege, but a right," Kelekis-Cholakis said.
The UM dental college received $3.5 million to produce a series of evidence-based online learning modules to better prepare oral health-care students to deliver care to marginalized groups. The modules will be made available on the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry's website and can also be used for professional development of licensed professionals.
The dental school received $1.8 million to develop and implement a 12-month postgraduate clinical apprenticeship pilot program in community oral health and dental public health for dentists and dental hygienists. The program's aim is to develop community-minded oral health-care providers who will develop additional knowledge and skills to address the oral health care needs of at-risk populations.
The dental college also received $344,740 for a project to help create an oral health community liaison role at the college's dental and community clinics. The liaison will foster partnerships with organizations serving people who lack access to oral health care and facilitate their access to services in the university's campus clinic.
The final project received $336,000 to cover up to 100 per cent of eligible oral health care for patients who are enrolled in the CDCP or uninsured patients. From now until the end of March 2026, or until the grant is exhausted, patients of all ages who are uninsured or enrolled in the CDCP can receive up to 100 per cent coverage of eligible dental and dental hygiene care at UM dental college's general clinic.
"This investment really will ripple through communities improving overall health and well-being," Kelekis-Cholakis said.
The four UM projects are among 30 initiatives from across the country that the federal government is funding through the Oral Health Access Fund. Minister of Health Marjorie Michel announced the $35 million in funding in Montreal on Nov. 24.
