The postal strike has left many patients requiring approval for dentures and partial plates through the Canadian Dental Care Plan in a holding pattern.

Those eligible must fill out paperwork under Schedule B, separate from the usual cleaning and exam coverage which rolled out earlier in the year.

Schedule B coverage began on November 1st and many clinics had a large number of pre-authorizations ready to go to Sunlife, which is administering the program for the federal government.

Many clinics were surprised when Sunlife came back to them requiring more documentation prior to approval for dental plates, papers which must be sent through the mail.

The president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Dental Association, Dr. Craig Smith, says the process was already a lengthy one, and now, with the ongoing postal strike, he says many patients have been left waiting for weeks for their dentures and partial plates.

“That documentation has to be sent to Sunlife via mail,” he said. “And with Canada Post currently on strike, most, if not all of that extra documentation for pre-authorizations for things like partial plates and crowns are now in a holding or pause pattern because we just can’t get that information to Sunlife in a timely fashion in a way that they can accept it.”

Smith calls it a learning curve, and says they’re working on ways to ease the process for clinics and patients.