Canadian Dental Care Plan

The CDCP is a federally delivered public plan for eligible Canadian residents.

The Canadian Dental Care Plan is a dental insurance program funded by the Canadian government to provide dentistry services to uninsured Canadians who meet certain criteria. Letters, including a personalized application code and instructions on how to apply, are now being distributed by age groups. The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) has been designed to help cover a wide range of oral health care services that keep your teeth and gums health & prevent and treat oral health care issues and diseases.

Who Is Eligible? When Will I Be Eligible?

The application process is being rolled out by age groups:

• Seniors aged 87 and above  Started December 2023
• Seniors aged 77 to 86  Started 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

To qualify for the CDCP, you must:

• not have access to dental insurance*
• have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,00
• be a Canadian resident for tax purposes
• have filed your tax return in the previous year

If you have dental coverage through a provincial, territorial or federal government social program, you can still qualify for the CDCP. If you meet all the eligibility criteria, your coverage will be coordinated between the plans to ensure there are no duplication or gaps in coverage.

 *"Access to dental insurance" means access to any type of dental insurance or coverage through other channels, such as:

• through your employer or a family member’s employer benefits, including health and wellness accounts through your pension (previous employer) or a family member’s pension benefits this includes federal, provincial and territorial government pension plans
• through a professional or student organization
• purchased by you or a family member or through a group plan from an insurance or benefits company
• You’re still considered to have access to dental insurance if you choose to opt out of available benefits like these.

Services covered

Examples of services that could be covered under the CDCP when recommended by an oral health provider, include:

• preventive services, including scaling (cleaning), sealants and fluoride
• diagnostic services, including examinations and x-rays
• restorative services, including fillings
• endodontic services, including root canal treatments
• prosthodontic services, including:
  • complete dentures, and
  • partial removable dentures
• periodontal services, including deep scaling
• oral surgery services, including extractions

Note: Some oral health care services will require preauthorization. Preauthorization is a process where prior approval is required, based on the recommendation of the oral health provider, before the treatment is provided, to confirm it will be covered under the plan. These treatments and/or services take into consideration an individual’s oral health history and medical conditions. Services requiring preauthorization will become available in November 2024.

The CDCP will only pay for oral health care services covered within the plan at the established CDCP fees. These fees are not the same as the provincial and territorial oral health associations suggested fee guides that providers often use to charge for oral health services. People covered under the CDCP may have to pay any additional charges directly to the oral health provider.

For more information, please visit the Government Of Canada website