Many Canadians have avoided getting the oral care that they need simply because it was too expensive. As a result, some have been waiting until their oral health is so dire that they have to get treatment at the emergency room.
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) aims to help Canadians without dental insurance to access oral health care services by easing financial barriers. The program is specifically aimed at people with an annual household income under $90,000 who don’t have access to private insurance.
To qualify for the CDCP, Canadians must meet the following criteria:
- they do not have access to dental insurance
- they have an annual adjusted family net income under $90,000
- they must be a Canadian resident for tax purposes
- a tax return from the previous year must have been filed
Canadians who already have access to dental benefits through provincial, territorial, and federal social programs and who meet these criteria will still be able to apply for the dental program.
Canadians will need to meet the eligibility requirements each year to qualify for the CDCP.
Dental Program Rollout
The program will be rolled out in a phased approach, with applications for the dental plan opening according to the following schedule:
| Group | Applications open |
| Seniors aged 87 and above | Starting December 2023 |
| Seniors aged 77 to 86 | Starting January 2024 |
| Seniors aged 72 to 76 | Starting February 2024 |
| Seniors aged 70 to 71 | Starting March 2024 |
| Seniors aged 65 to 69 | Starting May 2024 |
| Adults with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate | Starting June 2024 |
| Children under the age of 18 | Starting June 2024 |
| All remaining eligible Canadian residents | Starting 2025 |
Sun Life is the contracted service provider who will manage the CDCP on behalf of the Government of Canada.
Once enrolled, qualifying Canadian residents will receive a welcome package from Sun Life with a member card and a starting date for when their oral health care services will be covered. Those who are covered will be able to start seeing oral health-care providers as early as May 2024, starting with seniors.
The start date to access oral health care will vary based on when each group can apply, when the application is received and when enrolment is completed. The dental care plan will not reimburse any oral health-care service done before the person’s start date.
Dental Services Covered
The CDCP will help cover the cost of various oral health care services that keep your teeth and gums healthy and treat problems that can happen.
Covered services include the following (with some services only becoming available in fall 2024).
- preventive services, including scaling (cleaning), polishing, sealants and fluoride
- diagnostic services, including examinations and X-rays
- restorative services, including fillings
- endodontic services, including root canal treatments
- prosthodontic services, including complete and partial removable dentures
- periodontal services, including deep scaling
- oral surgery services, including extractions
Amount Covered
To minimize out-of-pocket expenses for individuals covered by the plan, oral health-care providers must submit claims directly to Sun Life for payment, eliminating the need for patients to seek reimbursement from the insurance company.
The dental program will reimburse a percentage of dental procedures, but some people covered under the plan may have a co-payment. This is the percentage of the dental plan that is not covered by the federal government, which people will have to pay out of pocket.
Your co-payment is based on your adjusted family net income. Family net incomes between $70,000 and $79,999 will have a 40 per cent co-payment. And those between $80,000 and $89,999 will have a 60 per cent co-payment plan.
For the latest about the CDCP, visit canada.ca
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