How the Dental Treatment Assistance Fund Helps Kingston Residents Access Urgent Care
The Dental Treatment Assistance Fund (DTAF) has been transforming lives across southeastern Ontario for more than forty years. Alison Bradshaw, a health promoter with Southeast Public Health, explains that “it’s been around since 1984. It’s a charitable fund we administer in kind, with no overhead costs. That means every dollar donated goes directly to helping someone in need of emergency dental care.”
The DTAF helps people experiencing urgent dental issues such as pain, swelling, infection, or trauma, often when they have nowhere else to turn. In 2024, the program supported nearly 280 individuals across Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington counties. “These are people who are in pain,” Bradshaw said. “Sometimes they’ve already been to a dentist and discovered they can’t afford the treatment. Other times, they’re calling us because the pain has become unbearable.”
The fund is sustained entirely through charitable donations and grants from organizations such as the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area, the United Way, and Rotary. “We do the work in kind, taking the calls and processing claims,” Bradshaw said. “So, when organizations generously donate, it all goes straight to care.”
Even with the expansion of the Canadian Dental Care Plan, the need for DTAF continues. “It’s great news that adults are now eligible,” Bradshaw said. “But there are still people who fall through the cracks, like those who haven’t filed taxes or who can’t wait weeks for approval when they’re in severe pain.” She added that dentists may charge additional fees, leaving even eligible patients struggling to pay.
One of DTAF’s greatest strengths is its responsiveness. “We can often approve funding the same day,” Bradshaw noted. “That makes a huge difference when someone can’t eat, sleep, or work because of dental pain.”
The program also partners with organizations such as Kingston Community Health Centres to help funds reach further. Over time, DTAF has increased its support per client from $200 to $400, allowing more people to receive treatment rather than just assessment.
“For many,” Bradshaw said, “this fund is the difference between continued suffering and finally getting relief.”
