Two-thirds of Canadians already enjoy world-class dental care, but some people must make difficult choices between their dental health and other important expenses. The CDCP is meant to help the latter group – providing dental care for those who don’t have insurance through their work, school, or other group coverage.

If employers start cutting or ending dental care benefits for their employees, it puts the whole program – and your oral health – at risk:

• The amount of people who would be forced onto the CDCP would grow dramatically and the cost for taxpayers will skyrocket beyond the $13 billion already budgeted.
• A family with a combined income of more than $90,000 could be left with no benefits at all.

The government needs to make sure businesses continue to offer dental care coverage to their employees so that the CDCP can help the remaining one-third of Canadians who don’t have any dental insurance.

Patients should be able to choose their dentist. That is why the CDCP should be delivered through existing dental offices. You should be able to stay with your dentist, who knows you and your background. If you don’t have a regular dentist, you should be able to choose one who practices in your community, whose office meets your needs, and who, in some cases, can speak your language.

Patients accessing care under the CDCP should be able to get the dental care they need, when they need it – the same way people with workplace benefits do. This means the CDCP should allow patients to make decisions about their care in partnership with their dentist. It should also have easy enrollment or registration, a quick claims process, and minimal paperwork.

Most dental offices have electronic systems to submit claims and payments between patients, dentists, and insurance companies. Most people do not have to fill out forms and wait for the government to approve their care before they can receive it. An accessible public dental care program should operate in the same way.

Most provinces and territories already have public dental care programs for families and children with low incomes, seniors and/or people with disabilities. We know the ins-and-outs of these programs because we treat the patients who depend on them. We can help inform the federal government so that the CDCP and existing provincial/territorial government dental programs work together for the people who rely on them.

Provincial and territorial dental associations have suggested fee guides developed by third-party experts. The suggested fee guides help dentists independently set fees for their practices that are fair, transparent, and predictable to both dentists and patients. By aligning the CDCP with the fee guides, dentists can continue to provide effective, equitable, high-quality dental care that all patients expect and deserve, regardless of their income.

There are already serious shortages of dental hygienists and dental assistants across Canada. The CDCP will dramatically increase staffing demands in dental practices. Without enough of these skilled professionals, you could face delays in getting the dental care you need.

In 2022, the federal government announced plans to create the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), providing dental care coverage for uninsured Canadians with a household income of less than $90,000 a year. The government committed to:

• Provide coverage for children under the age of 12 from uninsured low- and middle-income families by the end of 2022;
• Include children and teens under 18 years of age, seniors, and people with disabilities in 2023; and
• Roll out the program to all eligible Canadians by 2025.

For those who have a household income of less than $70,000 a year, costs will be fully covered.

The federal government is still figuring out how they’re going to run the CDCP, but they have announced that it will be will be administered by Health Canada, with support from a third-party benefits administrator.

In the federal budget for 2023, the estimated cost of the CDCP has been adjusted to $13 billion over five years, an increase from initial estimate of $5.3 billion when the program was first announced. Additionally, $4.4 billion of ongoing costs to Health Canada for implementation is budgeted.

The MDA and other dental associations across Canada are concerned about a lack of meaningful consultation with the provincial and territorial dental associations when our member dentists are expected to deliver on the government’s promises. Dentists are the experts and can give the insight needed to make sure people get the care they need, and taxpayer money will be used wisely.

While the CDCP is being developed, the government announced the Canada Dental Benefit as a first stage of its plan to deliver dental coverage for children.

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.

A recent study showed that the majority of the public would not support a federal dental plan if it meant they would lose their dental benefits. This is why we need the federal government to tell us what they are planning to do to protect your existing dental insurance.

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.

Payments are administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The CRA will use adjusted income to determine eligibility and the amount of benefit you’ll receive. You must have filed the previous year’s taxes to be eligible.

The benefit will provide:

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

The CDB is only available for two periods. The first benefit period covered dental care your eligible child received between October 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. The second benefit period runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.

You can apply to get the payment for each period per eligible child to a maximum of two payments provided you incur out-of-pocket expenses for dental care in each period. Applications for the second benefit period are open until June 30, 2024. To access the second benefit period, you must meet the following criteria:

• You have a child or children under 12 as of July 1, 2023, and are currently receiving the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for that child;
• You have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000;
• Your child does not have access to private dental care coverage;
• You have filed your 2022 tax return; and

You have out-of-pocket expenses for your child’s dental care services incurred in Canada between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, for which the costs have not been fully covered under another federal, provincial or territorial government program.

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. You can apply to get the benefit ahead of your child’s dental appointment. When you apply, you will need to confirm that:

• Your child does not have access to private dental care coverage.
• You will have out-of-pocket dental care expenses and will use the CDB to pay for those expenses.
• You understand that you may have to provide receipts to prove the CDB was used to pay for out-of-pocket dental care expenses.

When applying, you should have the following information close by as you will be required to provide:

• The name, address and telephone number of your child’s dental care professional.
• The date (or expected date) of your child’s or children’s dental appointment.
• The name, address and telephone number of your employer and your spouse’s or common-law partner’s employer, if applicable.

If you apply online and are signed up for direct deposit, you could receive your payment within five business days. If you are unable to apply online, you can call a new dedicated phone line at 1-800-715-8836 to complete your application with an agent.

Once you receive the benefit, you must use it to pay for dental services. If the services in that year cost less than the total benefit amount, the CRA expects you to spend it on the child’s oral health needs in lieu of returning any unused money.

Health Canada has a factsheet (PDF, English) that you can download and print. It explains the main points of the CDB in an easy-to-understand graphic. It is also available in other languages on the Health Canada website.

You can also learn how to apply for the CDB by watching this video.

Where to go for dental care