Andrea Horwath is hoping the NDP’s $1.2 billion public dental plan will have Ontario voters smiling at her party this spring.

Unveiling details of the scheme Monday at Queen’s Park, Horwath said it would help some 4.5 million Ontarians who do not enjoy workplace dental benefits.

“No one should have to live in pain,” the New Democratic leader told reporters.

“No one should go years without a visit to the dentist because they are a part-time worker or a contract worker or because they’re retired,” she said.

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“And no Mom or Dad should ever — ever — have to put their little one’s check-up off or fillings off because money is too tight.”

Stressing “we can do so much better,” Horwath said the new Ontario Benefits would create a minimum standard for dental plans that will apply to all employers.

Currently, about two-thirds of Ontario companies provide dental benefits to employees. The NDP plan would expand that to the remaining third as well as those who are unemployed or self-employed.

Businesses will be given the option of participating in the public Ontario Benefits program or a comparable private workplace benefits plan.

It would be free for anyone earning less than $30,000 a year and the most anyone would have to contribute off their paycheque to cover the employees’ portion of the mandatory plan would be $4.33 a week.

“Mom and Pop family businesses are going to have an even playing field when it comes to recruiting and retaining employees, and taking care of their staff,” she added.

“And artists and entrepreneurs will have the freedom to pursue their dreams, without worrying that their health or their family’s health could suffer from the lack of benefits.”

Mohammad Akbar, 26, who works on contract, said the NDP plan would be beneficial to someone like him who can’t afford to visit the dentist regularly.

“This plan would support folks like me and other contractors, freelancers, who struggle to find a position with benefits, who struggle to find any sort of work at all,” said Akbar.

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“So this kind of coverage would help us significantly.”

Horwath said the new plan would be paid for through higher corporate taxes and income taxes on wealthier Ontarians.

She said the NDP was “absolutely” willing to run a deficit and promised the party would have a “fully-costed” platform well before the June 7 election.

The New Democrats’ dental plan complements the existing $121-million a year Healthy Smiles Ontario program and other benefits for low-income earners.

Details on minimum levels of care are still to be worked out and the program is supposed to be up and running by 2020.

The NDP estimates that some 4 million people in the province — almost a quarter — have not seen a dentist in the past year.

But the Ontario Dental Association expressed concern with expanding free dental services.

“Before any provincial government considers extending public dental care programs, it’s critical to first address the severe underfunding of the programs that already exist,” the ODA’s Maggie Blood said in an email.

“We look forward to a consultation with the NDP and to learning more about the details of its platform,” said Blood.

“For nearly 20 years, Ontario’s dentists have been asking the provincial government to fix its publicly funded programs. In fact, we launched a public awareness campaign last month asking the province to step up its commitment to its Healthy Smiles Ontario program,” she said.

“Ontario’s dentists have been doing our part. We are ready to work with government to ensure existing dollars are invested wisely to find solutions that meet the oral health needs of Ontarians with low incomes and disabilities.”

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