Albertans want dental fees regulated: Survey

CTV Edmonton: Regulating dentist fees A new poll suggest Albertans would like to see dental fees regulated.

For some people, a trip to the dentist can be painful on the wallet but a new survey suggests Albertans would like to see dental fees regulated.

The survey, conducted by Think HQ Public Affairs, interviewed more than 1,400 people in Alberta.

It found that 81 per cent of people think it’s either a “very” or “fairly good idea” for the government to introduce regulation to limit the fees dentists can charge.

Unlike many other provinces, Alberta does not have fee guidelines for dentists to reference, so prices can vary.

CTV Edmonton called local dental clinics to find out how much they charge. Many wouldn’t give estimates over the phone; however price discrepancies were found between the ones that did disclose their fees.

For example, CTV Edmonton found that depending on the dental clinic, fillings can cost between $100 and $600 per tooth, while extractions can cost between $130 to more than $1,000.

"We study the numbers and we come up with fees that we believe are fair representation of the services we provide," said Dr. Randall Croutze, president-elect of the Canadian Dental Association.

According to the provincial government, Alberta has some of the highest dental fees in Canada. A review is currently underway and should be completed by next year.

With files from Ashley Molnar