Some of the people who will be impacted by the federal government’s new Canadian Dental Plan are sharing their stories of how their oral health has impacted their quality of life.

Brenda Morris was in attendance recently as NDP President Mary Shortall and former MP Jack Harris celebrated the milestone—something that the party had been fighting to implement for years.

Morris says her oral health started to deteriorate about three years ago. It started with pain and swelling in the side of her jaw. She says she went and had an exam done, at a cost of $250, but couldn’t go any further due to the financial burden.

Morris says her dentist was going to send her to an orthodontist, but she cancelled the appointment because she knew she couldn’t afford it.

She is hopeful that the new program will help improve her quality of life. Morris says she is happy because there is hope, as she didn’t think she’d live to see the program implemented.