The Canadian Dental Care Plan

The Alberta Dental Association does not run or manage the CDCP. We are not involved in any decisions about patient eligibility or enrolment.

The federal government has opened application for the CDCP in phases starting in December 2023. Seniors who are eligible will receive letters inviting them to apply, with instructions on how to validate their eligibility and apply by telephone. Letters from the government will be sent according to the following age groups:

• December 2023: Ages 87 and above
• January 2024: Ages 77 to 86
• February 2024: Ages 72 to 76
• March 2024: Ages 70 to 71

In May 2024, an online application portal will be open for seniors 65 and older. If you have a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate or have a child under the age of 18, you will be able to apply online as of June 2024. All remaining eligible Canadians will be able to apply online in 2025. For more information on eligibility, visit canada.ca/dental.

Examples of services that could be covered under the CDCP when recommended by your dentist include:

• 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; and
• Oral surgery services, including extractions.

Every group has a different level of coverage so that will impact your level of co-payment and also the remaining balance billed by the dental clinic.  

It is best to call Health Canada to discuss your specific coverage.  

For more information on services covered, access the CDCP Dental Benefits Guide. 

If you are eligible for existing provincial government programs, you will still be able to apply for the CDCP.  

Benefits will be coordinated between the programs, which means that your coverage will not be duplicated. 

The federal government is now working with the provinces and territories to figure out how this will work. 

Health Canada has committed to clarifying which programs will be the first and last payer before services begin as early as May of 2024.

Not having access to dental insurance is defined as: 

• no dental insurance through your employer or a family member’s employer benefits, including health and wellness accounts; 
• no dental insurance through your pension (previous employer) or a family member’s pension benefits; or 
• no dental insurance purchased by yourself or by a family member or through a group plan from an insurance or benefits company.

The government has said that the CDCP is not intended to replace existing workplace or private dental benefits. It is meant for Canadians who do not have dental benefits. 

If you have existing insurance, you should not cancel your insurance as not all details of the CDCP are public knowledge at this point.  

You’re still considered to have access to dental insurance if you choose to opt out of available benefits like these. 

Once you’ve applied through Health Canada and they confirm that you qualify, your information will be shared with Sun Life, who will enroll you in the CDCP. 

Sun Life will then send you your coverage start date and member card.  

The start date to access care under the CDCP depends on the date you were enrolled.  You should contact the government with any specific questions regarding your eligibility under the CDCP.  

Application schedule: 

No. It’s better to continue getting regular dental checkups now to catch problems before they become painful and expensive to treat, and apply for the plan when you are eligible to do so.

We don’t know and this should concern us all. Two-thirds of Canadians have great dental benefits from their work, school, or other group plan. These plans give them a choice of dentist, and the right to choose what dental care they get.

Dentists believe that the CDCP should improve access to care for people who don’t have benefits. It shouldn’t take away the benefits that people already have.

Families need to meet all of the following conditions for each child they apply for:

• Have a child under 12 years of age with no access to private dental care coverage (employer-based or purchased through the applicant or other family member);
• Have an adjusted family net income under $90,000 per year;
• Have filed last year’s income tax and benefit return (for the taxation year 2021, to be eligible in 2022—for more information on how to file a return, visit Canada.ca/doing-your-taxes);
• Be the parent (or legal guardian) who receives the Canada Child Benefit for that child;
• Have incurred—or will incur—out-of-pocket costs for eligible child’s dental care and have not been fully reimbursed under another federal, provincial or territorial government program; and
• Provide information on the recent or planned oral health care visit that the benefit would pay for, along with information about the oral health care provider.

Use it for any oral health care provided by a regulated oral health professional licensed to practise in the place where care is provided.

The interim Canada Dental Benefit provides up to $650 per child under 12, per year for two years, for families with an adjusted net income under $90,000 per year.

• $650 is provided for each eligible child, per year, if the family’s adjusted net income is under $70,000.
• $390 is provided if the family’s adjusted net income is between $70,000 and $79,999.
• $260 is provided if the family’s adjusted net income is between $80,000 and $89,999.

Your child was born on or after July 2, 2011 (under 12 years old as of July 1, 2023).

The Canada Dental Benefit (CDB) provides direct, up-front, tax-free payments to help cover out-of-pocket dental care expenses for children under 12 years of age who do not have access to private dental insurance and whose family income is less than $90,000 a year. The CDB provides payments of up to $650 for each eligible under 12 years of age, each year for two years.

The CRA My Account is the quickest, easiest and most secure way to apply for the CDB. Go to Canada.ca/dental for more information. If you’re unable to apply online, call the CRA at 1-800-715-8836.

Yes. We know that provincial and territorial programs do not cover dental care needs for children under 12 equally across Canada, and that in some cases, the programs focus only on emergency needs.

Children under 12 who are currently covered by provincial or territorial programs are still eligible for the interim Canada Dental Benefit so long as they have out-of-pocket costs for dental care services—costs which are not reimbursed under another federal, provincial or territorial government program—and if their family meets all of the criteria to qualify for the benefit.

Families should apply to their provincial or territorial program first (if applicable), and then, if there are remaining out-of-pocket costs that were not reimbursed by their province or territory, they can apply to the Canada Dental Benefit.

However, families whose needs are met by their provincial or territorial programs and do not have out-of-pocket costs are not eligible for the benefit and should not apply.