Article content continued

All of those on the list of the 25 highest-revenue dentists billed at least $500,000, with the top six ranging from $1.1-million to $1.6- million. The identity and location of the practitioners were removed by the department for privacy reasons. Dentists say the rule of thumb is members of the profession take home 40% to 45% of the fees they charge, after paying hygienists and other staff and financing often-pricey equipment.

According to Statistics Canada, the average employment income for full-time dentists in Canada is about $142,000, after overhead is paid.

Seven of the dentists on the list have multiple clinics on different reserves, each with their own support or technical staff, and two of the dentists are specialists, whose fees tend to be higher, said Oliva Caron, a spokeswoman for Health Canada, in an email response to questions.

The dentists’ staff can include dental “therapists,” who are allowed to perform limited procedures, such as minor fillings. High billing can also result from practitioners visiting remote communities, said Ms. Caron.

At the same time, the NIHB program has a “rigorous” audit system for the 14,000 dental practitioners who do work for the department, with particular focus on those claiming large sums, she said. “Every provider on this list of top-25 providers has been audited by the program, and many have been audited multiple times,” said the official.

Any inappropriate billings must be repaid, repeat offenders are de-listed and evidence of fraud is turned over to police and regulatory colleges, she said.

Health Canada spent $194-million on dental services in 2009-10, the most recent year for which it has issued an annual report, up more than 9%. Still, the report notes that many First Nations people go without dental care at all, as just 36% of those eligible had any kind of dental appointment in 2009-10.

National Post

• Email: tblackwell@nationalpost.com