Oral health can have a real impact on quality of life, and over one in four Canadians (26%) are either dealing with oral pain or avoiding eating certain foods because of problems with their mouth. Some populations are more likely to report problems with their mouth than others, including seniors, those without dental insurance and people with disabilities.
These findings are based on data from the Canadian Oral Health Survey (COHS), the first-ever national survey dedicated to oral health in Canada. It covered Canadians of all ages living in the provinces and was conducted from November 2023 to March 2024. The COHS provides a key baseline for understanding Canadians' oral health, collecting demographic and behavioural data ahead of potential changes from the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
Oral health is a critical component of well-being, affecting physical and psychological health throughout people's lives. Previous findings from the COHS focused on recent dental visits, which play an important role in maintaining oral health. This release focuses on several indicators of oral health status, such as persistent mouth pain, toothlessness or other mouth problems that result in avoiding certain foods, which can have a significant impact on people's daily lives. Poor oral health may potentially affect their ability to function well enough to go to school or to work, may influence their ability to eat a proper diet, and consequently may have an impact on overall health. While this survey focuses on the self-reported experiences of Canadians, clinical measures of oral health—such as the prevalence of tooth decay—are currently being collected as part of Cycle 7 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey and will be available at a later date.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).