Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath (right) speaks with Jordan Dottori in Sarnia. April 5, 2018 (Photo by Melanie Irwin)

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Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath brought her pre-election campaign for universal dental care to Sarnia Thursday morning.

She met with 24-year-old Lambton College social worker student Jordan Dottori who is struggling to pay for an estimated $1,200 root canal.

She only has $500 dental coverage a year through the school.

Horwath said no one should be in that position.

“That’s why we’ve decided to put together a dental plan for everyone,” Horwath said to Dottori. “It’s exciting because we know, your story is unique to you of course, but 4.5-million Ontarians don’t have access to dental care because they can’t afford it and that’s just unacceptable.”

Dottori said she’s looking to access the Lambton Smiles program, through Lambton Public Health for children under 17, for her 5-year-old son.

Horwath says the NDP plan will create a minimum standard for dental plans that will apply to all employers and cover all workers including those who are part-time or on contract.

The $1.2-billion cost would be financed through increased taxes on the wealthy and corporations.

Horwath said in her travels the last week, she has heard stories about people desperately resorting to pulling their own teeth to relieve the pain.