After being in a terrible car accident where her jaw was broken when she was 32 years old, Patricia Gadreau has had no choice but to wear dentures for the past 37 years.
Gadreau, now 69, paid almost $6,000 for a set of dentures in Abbotsford just before she moved to Prince George.
Unfortunately, they didn't fit her mouth properly and caused a lot of pain.
"I could not chew properly," said Gadreau.
"I could not eat my vegetables to maintain good health - I love broccoli and I just couldn't eat it. And I could never eat apples because I couldn't chew them."
Gadreau was at her granddaughter's graduation in Mackenzie at the celebration dinner when her dentures broke in half.
"It was really traumatic for me because I just didn't have that kind of money to put out all at once," said Gadreau, who is on a fixed income.
Gadreau decided to reach out to see if she could get some assistance and was referred to the Prince George Council of Seniors Denture Program that offers financial aid.
Gadreau could manage to pay $1,500 while the denture program contributed $900 to the total bill for new dentures of $2,400 at Northern Lights Denture Clinic.
The Prince George Council of Seniors created the denture program in response to the growing number of seniors like Gadreau, in need of new dentures or repair on their existing dentures but didn't have the money to pay the full cost.
About 22 per cent of people over 60 have absolutely no teeth in their mouth and the Medical Services Plan of British Columbia does not cover dentures.
Through the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation, the province provides income assistance clients who have had their complete upper and/or lower arch of teeth extracted in the previous six months for the relief of pain on recommendation of a dentist and they are eligible for funding for complete dentures.
But there is no recourse for those who are not on income assistance.
"This is basically a program of last resort," said Lola-Dawn Fennell, general manager at the Prince George Council of Seniors (PGCOS).
"It's financial assistance for people who have run out of all other means of trying to get dentures."
Funding for the seniors denture program is solely dependent on community donations, said Fennell, and the Prince George Construction Association has been the major sponsor to date.
"We're almost out of funds at this point in time," said Fennell.
People's needs over the dozen years the program has been available vary from $40 to $1,400.
"I think the average amount has probably been between $500 and $600 range because we really encourage people to contribute to the price of their dentures themselves," said Fennell.
Asking those in need to try to raise a portion of the average cost of dentures - about $1,500 - allows the donated funds from the program to help more people.
"So we know the population of seniors is growing and this program is for people 55 years and older," said Fennell.
Dentures, however, are more than just a health issue.
"There is a social component to it as well," Fennell said.
"So people who are without teeth might be shy about going out in public. When you're dealing with seniors that ripples into all kinds of things. If you're isolating yourself you may not be eating properly, and more prone to depression and other health issues."
It's not all about appearance but it still feels better to have a bright smile than not, added Gadreau.
"You're still out in the public, you're still talking to someone, looking at them in the eyes, you can smile - I love smiling but when you don't have teeth it's not going to happen," said Gadreau.
"And your diet suffers as well because you don't have teeth."
For seniors to access the Denture Program they must fill out an application form that asks for household financial information, income and expenses, bring a written quote from a denturist and to help with that the Council of Seniors provides information for each of the four denturists in town.
Then a member of the Council of Seniors looks over the application and determines what is needed, as well as how much money is left in the Denture Program fund and follows up with a face-to-face interview.
"Each case is determined individually based on financial and medical need and even social need to some extent," said
Fennell.
"And without donations to this program there won't be any assistance available. I love seeing our clients come in after they receive their dentures. Several years ago one man we first had contact with was so depressed he was contemplating suicide - teeth were not his only issue but it was one issue and we managed to help him out and wow, his life just turned around totally and you wouldn't even recognize him."
"He doesn't look like the same person because now he has teeth in his face and he's smiling and he's feeling more confident while dealing with some of the issues in his life and it was just a total turn around for him and that was really, really cool to see," Fennell added.
Dentures are both a social and a dietary necessity, agrees Dr. Raina Fumerton, the northwest medical health officer with Northern Health.
"It's funny how we compartmentalize the mouth from the rest of the body as though the health of your mouth isn't relevant to the health of the rest your body," she said.
"There's always been a dichotomy and it might be more about how our health system is funded in that oral health isn't a publicly funded phenomenon. Oral health is not only important to your appearance and sense of well being but to overall physical health."
Without proper teeth, the problems to physical health start at meal time.
"If chewing is painful or there are no teeth to chew with that can certainly affect dietary intake of certain nutrient-rich foods," said Fumerton. "Because you don't have the physical capacity or it's too painful to do so, you wouldn't be able to properly chew and consume those types of healthy foods that we suggest in the Canada Food Guide."
The problems continue from there and can become quite serious.
"Untreated gum disease can lead to the loss of teeth and increased risk of diseases like respiratory disease as the bacteria and plaque travel from the mouth into the lungs that causes infection or aggravates existing lung conditions," said Fumerton.
"There's also a link between diabetes and gum disease so people with diabetes are more susceptible to gum disease and it can put them at greater risk for greater diabetic complications."
Oral health is often tied to income status, she added.
"It's really about a vulnerable population living in poverty including low income seniors and low income people of other backgrounds, including children, who don't have the dental plan and dental insurance," said Fumerton.
Without teeth in place, the face sags around the empty space, physically altering a person's appearance.
"It's not that it's just for chewing, not just for speech, it's for entire facial support," said Esther Schwenning, a registered denturist and owner of Northern Lights Denture Clinic. "I think people who still have their own teeth take it for granted how 28 little white things in our mouth work."
Improper tooth care is just one of numerous reasons why dentures are required in the first place.
"In fact there are hundreds of thousands of variables as to why they've lost their teeth," said Schwenning. "It could be genetics, or maybe they have really weak enamel, were they eating a diet devoid of certain minerals? Trauma could include hockey players, car accidents, spousal abuse and dental phobias."
While implants are becoming increasingly common, reducing the overall need for dentures, cost and other factors will still make dentures the right choice for some.
"Some people just can't afford implants and some restorations could be $40,000 to $50,000 and then people will look at dentures," she explained.
Sometimes people are just not a good candidate for implants because there is not enough bone left in their jaw due to radiation from cancer treatment, diabetes or osteoporosis to have an implant put in place, she added.
Gadreau couldn't be happier with her new dentures.
"For me they changed my life. It was horrible before with my other teeth and now I am very happy," she said. "I am very vain and even though I will be 70 in a few months, I still like to look presentable and they understood that."
