B.C. to increase number of dental surgeries by 15% to address gap in care for vulnerable patients

The B.C. government is providing funding to increase the number of dental surgeries performed at the province's hospitals to 7,100 in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. The provincial health minister says the aim is to speed up care for vulnerable individuals who require a general anesthetic for dental procedures, like those with developmental disabilities or complex medical conditions. The provincial government claims that 15% of patients waited more than 26 weeks for dental surgery during the current fiscal year.