Introduction: In Canada, general dental health is not part of the Canadian National Health Insurance System (Medicare) (1), with the exception of some dental surgical procedures performed in hospitals. Since oral health is not covered by the Health Act, approximately 95% of oral health services are offered for a fee. Oral health care is under provincial or territorial jurisdiction like other health services, and publicly funded dental care programs provide the remaining 5% of oral health care services (2). Therefore, most Canadians receive their oral health care through private dental clinics. Privately owned dental care gives these service providers control over the costs of dental services, the types of treatment available to patients, and the number of follow-up appointments for routine treatment or care. Service users pay dental costs out of pocket or use insurance coverage (1). Background: According to the latest Canadian Health Measures Oral Health Survey, approximately 62% of Canadians had private dental insurance. Approximately 50% of respondents from the lowest income group had no dental insurance, while 78% of respondents from the highest income group had private dental insurance coverage. Half of low-income people without dental insurance will pay for dental care for themselves and their families. Additionally, 53% of respondents aged 60 to 79 were not covered by any dental insurance. This indicates that most Canadians will obtain private dental insurance when they are able to afford it (e.g. with a high income). Whereas, half of low-income people and more than half of seniors have no dental insurance to receive dental care (1). As pr...... half of the paper...... three-quarters of all public spending on dental care in Canada is associated with treatment in private dental facilities, where public insurance is billed as the third-party payer (9). However, only 30% of dentists deal with public insurance (8). The delivery method causes problems between dental providers and public insurance. The public and private context for dental care is also important to consider due to the disparity that exists with oral health and access to it. Low-income, high-risk children (e.g. Aboriginal children) are unable to obtain dental care, suffering medically and socially as they cannot afford the costs. Additionally, the elderly, people in long-term care, the homeless, etc. also fall into this category. Therefore, sometimes delivery would be more appropriate in a private dental setting, while at others a public setting would be more ideal.