The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is a federal government program that is intended to provide coverage for Canadian residents who do not have dental benefits and have a household income of less than $90,000 a year. You need to know that this is a government dental benefit; it is not a free dental program.

The CDCP is for Canadians who do not have dental benefits. It is not intended to replace benefits that people already have through work, school or private plans although it can be used in combination with existing government programs. The CDCP is managed by Health Canada and administered by Sun Life. Dentists are not involved in deciding who is eligible or what services are covered.

Check your eligibility on at Health Canada or contact its helpline at 1-833-537-4342 between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time, Monday to Friday.

All residents over 65 and under 18, as well as adults with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate are currently eligible to apply. All remaining residents are eligible in 2025.

You must apply to the CDCP with Health Canada.

Within 3 months of your application submission, Sunlife will send you a welcome package with your coverage details, benefit effective date, and a membership card.

The CDCP covers a part of the cost of your care but does not provide free dental care. You may have to pay the portion of costs that are not covered.

Patients may be required to make a co-payment (that is, pay for a portion of their dental care under the CDCP) depending on their adjusted family net income, as follows:

• No co-payment of the CDCP benefit for those with an adjusted annual family net income under $70,000.
• A 40 per cent co-payment of the CDCP benefit for those with an adjusted annual family net income between $70,000 and $79,999.
• A 60 per cent co-payment of the CDCP benefit for those with an adjusted annual family net income between $80,000 and $89,999.

When booking your dental appointment, talk to your dentist about the costs of your treatment and any costs that won’t be covered by the CDCP

The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) will help cover a wide range of oral health care services that 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

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

Yes, if you have other coverage from government plans such as Healthy Smiles, OW, & ODSP, benefits will be cooridinated and the CDCP will be the primary payer relative to all of the Ontario dental programs