Canadian Dental Care Plan.
Federal dental coverage for Canadian residents without access to dental insurance and with an adjusted family net income under $90,000. Applications for 2026–2027 are open.
The Government of Canada runs the plan and Sun Life processes its claims. Each benefit year runs from July 1 to June 30.
You must meet all four requirements.
- 01
No access to private dental insurance or coverage
That includes a health spending account that covers dental, and coverage through your work or pension, a family member’s work or pension plan, a professional or student organization, or a plan you or a family member bought. Having access rules you out even if you have never used it, chose not to enrol, or pay a premium for it.
- 02
File your tax return in Canada
You, and your spouse or common-law partner, must have filed a return for the previous year and received the notice of assessment.
- 03
Your adjusted family net income is less than $90,000
Line 23600 of your return plus your spouse’s or partner’s, adjusted for any UCCB and RDSP amounts. It is net income, not salary, and nobody else in the household counts.
- 04
You are a Canadian resident
You and your spouse or common-law partner must be Canadian residents for tax purposes.
Check your T4
Box 45 on a T4, or box 015 on a pension T4A. A 1 means no access to dental coverage; a 2, 3, 4 or 5 means your plan offers it. Check your spouse’s or partner’s slips too.
Government dental programs
Coverage from Healthy Smiles Ontario, ODSP or Ontario Works does not rule you out, and the CDCP pays first. The Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program does not combine with the CDCP, so you choose one or the other.
Retired and opted out
The one exception to requirement 1: if you are retired, opted out of the dental coverage in your pension plan before December 11, 2023 and cannot opt back in, you can still apply.
Every age
Children, adults and seniors can all apply. A parent or guardian applies for a child.
Your share depends on family income.
| Adjusted family net income | The CDCP pays | You pay |
|---|---|---|
| Under $70,000 | 100% | 0% |
| $70,000 to $79,999 | 60% | 40% |
| $80,000 to $89,999 | 40% | 60% |
Percentages of the CDCP’s own fee for each covered service.
- The CDCP sets its fees separately from the Ontario fee guide that many offices charge by. Where an office’s fee is higher, you may pay the difference as well, even with no co-payment.
- Anything the plan does not cover is yours to pay, if you decide to go ahead with it.
- Your co-payment level is in your enrolment letter. It can change from one benefit year to the next.
What the plan can pay for.
Check-ups and prevention
- Exams, including emergency exams
- X-rays
- Cleaning (scaling)
- Fluoride
- Sealants, for patients 17 and under
Fillings
- Permanent and temporary fillings
- Pain relief for a diseased tooth
- Other treatment for cavities
Root canals
- Root canal treatment
- Treatment to reduce infection and relieve pain
- Retreatment, surgery at the root tip, and root canals on wisdom teeth Preauthorization
Gum care
- Cleaning under the gumline
- Non-surgical treatment of gum disease
- Treating abscesses
- Bonding loose teeth Preauthorization
Crowns and posts
- Crowns, for patients 18 and older, up to four in ten years Preauthorization
- Cores and posts that support a crown Preauthorization
- Repairs, and re-cementing crowns and posts
Dentures
- Complete dentures
- Repairs, relines and rebases
- Partial dentures Preauthorization
- Immediate dentures and overdentures Preauthorization for some
Oral surgery
- Removing teeth and roots
- Removing cysts and tumours
- Draining an infection
- Treating a broken jaw
Sedation
- Nitrous oxide (laughing gas), where treatment could not be done without it
Preauthorization The CDCP has to approve the treatment before it is done. Not every request is approved; you can still go ahead and pay for it yourself.
Exams, X-rays, cleanings and fillings have limits on how often the plan pays for them. Exams and fillings done at another office count toward those limits.
What the CDCP does not pay for.
The list is not complete. The plan’s Dental Benefits Guide has the rest.
- Braces and clear aligners: orthodontic services are not currently covered
- Implants, and crowns or dentures attached to implants
- Bridges
- Veneers, whitening and other cosmetic treatment
- Inlays, onlays and three-quarter crowns
- Night guards and mouth guards
- TMJ (jaw joint) therapy and appliances
- Bone grafts and crown lengthening
- Extensive rehabilitation
- Care before your coverage start date, or during a gap in coverage
- Care from a provider outside Canada
Apply online or by phone. It is free.
Online
Through My Service Canada Account, in its Canadian Dental Care Plan section. If you cannot use an account, apply through Canada.ca instead.
By phone
Service Canada, 1-833-537-4342, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm local time.
TTY 1-833-677-6262, Monday to Friday, 7 am to 7:30 pm Eastern.
Have ready
For you and your spouse or partner: social insurance number, date of birth, full name, home and mailing address, any dental coverage from a government program, and the notice of assessment for the previous year’s tax return. A child’s SIN only if they have one.
After you apply
A letter from the Government of Canada gives your plan number, member ID, coverage start date and co-payment level. Sun Life then sends a welcome package with your member card. Only care on or after your start date is covered.
Renewing
Members renew every year. The 2026 renewal closed on June 1, 2026; if you missed it you can apply again, though there may be a gap in coverage. Renewals for 2027–2028 open in spring 2027.
The CDCP never asks for money to apply or renew.
Tell us you are a CDCP member when you book.
When you book
Have your member ID and coverage start date to hand.
What to bring
Your member card, a piece of ID, and the letter showing your start date and co-payment level. No card yet? Your member ID will do.
Before treatment
Ask for your share in writing before any work starts, the same as any other plan.
Paying
We bill Sun Life directly, so you pay only what the plan does not: your co-payment, and any difference between the CDCP fee and our fee. Never pay the full amount for covered care: Sun Life cannot pay you back.
Questions about your coverage: Sun Life’s CDCP line, 1-888-888-8110. The current rules are at canada.ca/dental.
Last checked against canada.ca: September 2026.