The Healthy Smiles Ontario (HSO) program covers urgent or emergency dental care for children from households in financial hardship who meet income eligibility requirements.

Eligibility

To qualify for emergency or urgent dental care, you must:

• Be 17 years old or under
• Have an urgent dental problem
• Be able to show financial hardship. You will be asked some questions about how you or your family would be affected if you had to pay for dental treatment. For example, would you be able to pay household bills if you had to pay for dental treatment?

What is Covered?

HSO covers procedures to treat urgent dental problems, including:

• Examinations
• X-rays
• Fillings
• Extractions

Some other complex services may be covered but require prior authorization.

Children receiving emergency or urgent care are covered for 12 months from their date of enrollment. You may be eligible to apply for HSO Regular Dental Coverage at the end of 12 months.

Cost

Dentists cannot bill HSO patients for services that are covered by the program. All dentists receive a list of all the services that HSO covers.

If you agree to any services that are not covered by HSO, your dentist will bill you directly.

How to Apply

To apply for urgent or emergency dental care, make an appointment for a dental screening at one of York Region’s Public Health dental clinics. If the registered dental hygienist identifies an urgent problem and if you are eligible, you can fill out a form to receive HSO coverage.

You will need to bring your child’s valid Ontario Health Card and fill out an application form that includes financial eligibility questions to qualify for urgent or emergency care through the HSO program.

To make an appointment, call Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 and press 5 to speak to a registered dental hygienist.

Locations

Newmarket Dental Clinic
22 Prospect Street
Newmarket, Ontario
L3Y 3S9

Richmond Hill Dental Clinic
50 High Tech Road
Richmond Hill, Ontario
L4B 4N7

Markham Dental Clinic
4261 Highway 7 East
Unionville, Ontario
L3R 9W6

Vaughan Dental Clinic
9060 Jane Street
Vaughan, Ontario
L4K 0G5

Hours

York Region Public Health dental clinics are open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

By Appointment Only.

Map

Disclaimer: Information contained on this website is not intended to be used for diagnosis. Please consult your oral health care professional for diagnosis and advice on dental treatment.

Related Resources

• Dental Health Resources