The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is a federal government program that provides coverage for Canadian residents who do not have dental benefits and have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000 a year.
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.
Eligibility criteria
Children and adults are eligible to enroll in the CDCP. Eligible individuals must meet all of the following criteria:
- Have no access to dental insurance
- Have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000
- Be a Canadian resident for tax purposes
- Have filed a tax return in the previous year
Please note the CDCP is a program of the Government of Canada. We cannot help you apply or answer questions about your eligibility. For more information on eligibility, visit canada.ca/dental.
To apply, visit canada.ca/dental.
Once enrolled, you will receive a welcome package in the mail from Sun Life which will include:
- Information on the CDCP
- Your member card
- The date your coverage begins
Be sure to review the package carefully, as your coverage start date determines when you can begin accessing dental services under the plan.
For a complete overview of the plan, please read the Government of Canada’s Dental Benefit Guide.
For additional information, please visit the CDCP webpage and read the FAQs below.
Always ask your dentist if the CDCP covers the dental services and if there will be any out-of-pocket or balance billing costs. For more information, please see our Patient Guide for the CDCP.
The CDCP covers a part of the cost of your care. You may have to pay the portion of costs that are not covered. For full information on all services covered, go to the CDCP Dental Benefits Guide.
Before your dentist begins to treat you, always ask if:
- the recommended services will be covered under the CDCP;
- you may have to pay for some services out of pocket. If that is the case, ask for the specific amount in advance.
The CDCP will be the primary payer relative to all Ontario dental programs. Where coordination is possible, Ontario's programs (such as the Heathy Smiles Ontario Program and the Ontario Disability Support Program) will serve as the secondary payer for CDCP recipients.
Read this fact sheet for more information on the coordination process for each of Ontario's dental programs available on the government's website.
Before booking an appointment with a dentist of your choice, please ask if the dentist agrees to participate in the CDCP program and direct bill Sun Life for services provided under the plan, as some dentists may decide not to participate in the CDCP program.
Please notify the dentist if you are covered under any other dental program (e.g., Ontario Disability Support Program, Healthy Smiles).
Your dentist needs to submit a preauthorization for complex services (e.g., partial dentures, crowns) to the CDCP administrator (Sun Life).
Requests for preauthorization are reviewed by Sun Life to determine if the recommended treatment meets the clinical criteria for coverage under the CDCP.
Balance billing is when a dentist charges for the difference between their fee for the service provided and the amount allowed under a public insurance program. Balance billing is permitted for patients using the CDCP. Learn more here.
Co-pay is part of the initial fee that some patients may be charged based on their adjusted family net income. The rate of co-pay that a patient may be charged under the CDCP is 40% or 60% of the cost of the treatment, depending on adjusted family income. Learn more here.
Yes. CDCP fees may not be the same as what providers charge. This is called balance billing and is permitted for patients using the CDCP. You may have to pay balance billing fees in addition to a potential co-payment if the cost of your oral health care service is more than what the CDCP will reimburse based on the established CDCP fees.
You should always ask your oral health provider about any costs that won’t be covered by the CDCP. Make sure you know what you’ll have to pay directly to your oral health provider ahead of receiving treatment. Learn more here.
