Canadian Dental Care Plan expanding age bracket tomorrow

Even more people will be able to apply to the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) starting Thursday.

The program, which was implemented in 2023, aims to lower dental costs for Canadians earning less than $90,000 a year.

According to the federal government, the dental plan will help up to nine million uninsured people get access to oral health care.

Earlier this month, Canadians ages 18 to 34 were able to apply for the CDCP. That age range expands on Thursday, May 29, to those aged 35 to 54.

A notice from the government states that it will send letters to Canadian residents aged 18 to 64 who could be eligible for the CDCP based on their 2024 adjusted family net income.

Eligible Canadians who have filed their 2024 tax returns and received their notice of assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) can apply once applications open up for their age group, even if they haven’t received the letter.

Already covered by the dental care plan? Don’t forget to renew for the 2025 to 2026 period before June 1 to avoid any gaps in coverage.

You’ll need to have filed your 2024 tax return and received the notice of assessment from the CRA to renew.

Who’s eligible for the Canadian Dental Care Plan?

Canadians must meet all of the following requirements to be eligible for the dental care plan:

• You’re a Canadian resident
• You don’t have access to dental insurance through your employer, student organization, a family member’s employer benefits, your pension, or a family member’s pension benefits
• You’ve filed your tax return
• Your adjusted family net income is less than $90,000

Canadians who are part of their province’s or territory’s dental program can still qualify for the CDCP if they meet all of the criteria above.

What does the CDCP cover?

It covers the following dental services:

• Preventive services, including scaling (cleaning), polishing, sealants, and fluoride
• Diagnostic services, including examinations and X-rays
• Restorative services, including fillings
• Periodontal services, including deep scaling
• Oral surgery services, including extractions

The CDCP expanded the services it covers in October to the following:

• Complete specialist examinations
• Crowns
• Root canal re-treatments
• Removable partial dentures, overdentures, and immediate dentures
• Major surgical procedures
• Moderate sedation, deep sedation, and general anesthesia

The government notes that the dental plan does not directly pay eligible members for the cost of dental care services. Even if you’re eligible, you may still have to pay your oral health provider any amount not covered by the CDCP.