Policy Agenda Setting in Public Health Dentistry: Implementing North America's First Universal School-Based Dental Program in Saskatchewan.

The article focuses on the history and policy development of the Saskatchewan Dental Plan (SDP), the first universal school-based dental care program for children in North America, modeled after New Zealand’s School Dental Service. Despite early recognition of rural dental access problems and the program’s demonstrated success from its establishment in 1974, the SDP faced prolonged opposition from organized dentistry in Saskatchewan and Canada, which viewed the use of salaried dental therapists as a threat to their professional and economic interests. The plan was ultimately terminated in 1987 after a pro-market Progressive Conservative government, aligned with dental associations, dismantled it despite its popularity and effectiveness. This case illustrates the challenges of sustaining major health policy reforms when powerful professional groups oppose changes that disrupt established practices.