Comox Valley senior starving after having teeth removed

LISE BROADLEY / Comox Valley Echo / Times Colonist
January 23, 2013

Shirley and George Harrison can't afford a new set of dentures for Shirley, who has lost over 60 pounds since having her teeth removed.

Since a gum infection necessitated the removal of all of her teeth in May 2011, Comox Valley resident Shirley Harrison, 70, has lost more than a third of her body weight.

The 106-pound senior cannot afford a new set of dentures and now lives off pureed food, canned soups and fruit, oatmeal and scrambled eggs. She learned the hard way that while the government will pay for the medically necessary removal of teeth, the cost of dentures to replace those teeth is the responsibility of the patient.

For Shirley and her husband George, 82, purchasing a new set of dentures is so far out of their financial capability that they have instead learned to adapt. But they say Shirley’s health is failing — she has lost more than 60 pounds and some days is too tired to leave the house.

“One morning I got up so weak I could not walk,” Shirley said. “I went to the hospital, and they said I was starving.”

Immediately after the operation to remove her teeth, Shirley and her husband scrimped and saved for a set of dentures, putting part of the $2,400 cost on a credit card when they couldn’t come up with the cash.

The dentures, however, were fitted when Harrison’s gums were still swollen from surgery. As the swelling went down, the dentures became looser and fell out. They are now completely useless.

The Harrisons have contacted every charity and government agency they can think of, but nobody is able or willing to help with the cost of another set.

“Almost all of them said they could get me anything but teeth,” Shirley said, “but teeth are what you need to eat.”

Teeth, it turns out, are not considered medically necessary, and the government only covers dentures for people on income assistance. The Harrisons live off their old age pensions, and their combined income is above the minimum threshold for receiving financial help. The only way they could qualify would be to live separately, a solution that is as financially impossible as paying for new teeth.

According to Medical Services Plan documents on the Health Ministry website, dental and oral surgery is covered when medically required to be performed in hospital.

Dentures are not listed as a benefit.

“Right now we are so broke we can barely afford the food we are eating, never mind $2,400 for teeth,” Shirley said.

Both wonder at what point teeth, and the ability to eat a wide range of food, become a medical necessity.

“If they are not necessary, well, look at the weight she has lost, just because she can’t eat,” George said.

A long-time supporter of children’s charities, George has donated more than $110,000 to local organizations over the years. He raised the money through the collection of bottles and cans and has been recognized numerous times for his contributions. He said that the lack of help now that he and his wife are in need is a bitter pill to swallow.

“Now when we need help, everybody’s looking out the window.”