The Canadian Federal Government has announced a change that could have a very positive effect on the oral health of those living in rural areas in Canada.
The government has confirmed that dentists and dental hygienists who work in underserved rural or remote areas for five years will qualify for some loan forgiveness on their student debts [1].
Not only would this be very positive for dental professionals, but it would also help those who live in areas where there is a lack of access to dental care.
Dentistry in Canada’s rural areas
Canada is the world’s second largest country, spanning thousands of square kilometers. As with any large country, there are both urban and rural areas.
While there are plenty of dental clinics across Canada, accessing them can be challenging for those in rural areas.
Research has shown that poor oral health related quality of life is statistically higher in rural areas compared to urban zones [2].
Part of this is due to access to care being more difficult in rural areas. Other research has shown that rural communities have a shortage of dental workers [3].
This means that not everyone in rural or remote communities can access oral healthcare. Therefore, any initiative that can change this is sought after.
The initiative
The federal government has announced a new initiative that has the aim of persuading more dental professionals to serve rural and remote areas.
Dentists and dental hygienists that work in underserved rural or remote areas for five years will qualify for up to $60,000 and $15,000 respectively, in student loan forgiveness [1].
This forms part of the government’s ongoing efforts to improve access to healthcare in rural communities. As pointed out above, this is desperately needed.
By recruiting more staff in these areas, it should mean access to care will become easier. This will hopefully result in improvements in the oral health of patients in rural or remote areas.
This will take effect from 1st November 2025. Steven MacKinnon, minister of Employment, workforce development and labour, has commented on this [1].
MacKinnon says that “providing student loan relief to health care and social service professionals working in rural and remote communities will not only help improve access to health care in these communities – it will also improve overall health outcomes and add talented workers to our community health-care networks” [1].
Student loan forgiveness
This initiative is part of upcoming changes to the Canada Student Financial Assistance Regulations and Canada Student Loans Regulations [1].
In terms of the exact level of loan forgiveness, dentists will be eligible for up to $60,000. This will start with $8,000 in the first year and rise incrementally over the five-year period [1].
Similarly, for dental hygienists, they will be eligible for up to $15,000. This will begin with $2,000 in the first year, before rising gradually over five years [1].
These loan forgiveness rates are very appealing and represents an excellent opportunity for dentists and dental hygienists.
Dentists and dental hygienists are among those to benefit from this. Other professions that will benefit include early childhood educators, pharmacists, psychologists, teachers, midwives, social workers and physiotherapists [1].
Summary
Overall, this initiative will have a very positive impact. It will assist communities that have been traditionally underserved, provide more jobs, and improve oral health.
This initiative should hopefully lessen the disparity between the oral healthcare of those living in rural or remote areas and those living in urban areas.
By improving oral health, it can also boost the overall health and wellbeing of those in these underserved areas. Therefore, there are many positives to this announcement!
Thinking points…
1) Whether you live in an urban, rural or remote area, it is very important that you visit a dental clinic regularly for a check-up. At a check-up, a dentist will be able to take a look at your oral health in detail and provide advice. If any treatment is needed, they can come up with a treatment plan. We recommend booking an appointment now!
2) We mentioned above about how some people do not have easy access to a dentist. However, here at Savanna Dental, we are located in an easily reached part of Calgary! Therefore, why not come and visit us? We would love to see you soon, you can find out more about us and our range of services on our website – https://savannadental.ca!
What we offer at Savanna Dental
Savanna Dental is a dental clinic based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We provide our patients with a range of treatment options and advice, with the aim of improving oral health and boosting overall wellbeing!
We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a dental check-up. If any problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals. To try and prevent problems, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly.
Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign™! Our patients find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.
In addition, the fees of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.
We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca/!
References
[1] Oral Health. (2025). Canadian government expands student loan forgiveness to bring more dentists and hygienists to rural areas. Available: https://www.oralhealthgroup.com/governance-3/canadian-government-offers-student-loan-forgiveness-to-dentists-hygienists-in-rural-areas-1003984470/. Last accessed: 20th February 2025.
[2] Gaber, A., Galarneau, C., Feine, J. S., & Emami, E. (2017). Rural-urban disparity in oral health-related quality of life. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. 46 (2): p132-142. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.12344.
[3] Gupta, N., & Miah, P. (2024). Imbalances in the oral health workforce: a Canadian population-based study. BMC Health Services Research. 7 (24). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11677-7.
