Health Canada invests $35M in 30 projects to expand dental training at 22 post-secondary institutions

Health Canada has announced more than $35 million in funding for 30 projects across 22 post-secondary institutions to improve dental training, expand outreach and strengthen access to oral-health services nationwide.

The funding—delivered over three years through the Oral Health Access Fund (OHAF)—is designed to support and complement the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) by improving hands-on clinical training, expanding community-based service delivery and improving oral-health outcomes for underserved populations.

At Monday’s announcement, Health Minister Marjorie Michel said the investment will strengthen dental-training programs and help reduce financial barriers for patients accessing university and college clinics.

Health Canada says the CDCP now covers nearly six million people, with eligible Canadians saving an average of about $800 per year in dental costs. More than 27,000 oral-health providers are now participating in the CDCP—representing nearly 100% of active providers in Canada.

Among the funded institutions, the University of Manitoba received the largest single award at $3,592,000 to develop national educational modules aimed at improving the training of oral-healthcare learners across Canada.

Here is the list:

Alberta

1. University of Alberta

Project: Addressing dental faculties’ short-term financial needs to attract and retain patients
Funding: $451,000
Description: Funding will help the university recruit and retain patients at its on-campus clinic by covering CDCP co-payments, expanding school-based oral-health services, offering care to patients referred by community organizations and piloting an evening clinic.

2. University of Alberta

Project: Access for All Dentistry
Funding: $2,612,503
Description: Supports hands-on clinical learning through off-site mobile dental service delivery in rural Métis communities. Funding will be shared with the Métis Nation of Alberta.

Related: ‘It’s so popular’: Student-led dental initiative becomes official elective at University of Alberta

3. Southern Alberta Institute of Technology

Project: Access to Oral Healthcare for Underserved Populations Through Dental Hygiene Education
Funding: $575,840
Description: Establishes a new two-year dental hygiene diploma program within the School of Health and Public Safety.

British Columbia

4. University of British Columbia

Project: Addressing dental faculties’ short-term financial needs
Funding: $528,000
Description: Covers co-payments for CDCP members and provides full coverage for targeted groups not enrolled in the CDCP. Focus includes non-tax filers and members accessing school-based training clinics.

5. University of British Columbia

Project: Train to Retain
Funding: $1,079,659
Description: Establishes a three-month summer placement program for dental students training in rural, remote and urban underserved areas across B.C.

6. University of British Columbia

Project: Improving the Oral Health of Senior Canadians
Funding: $1,150,725
Description: Expands geriatric dentistry training through new post-graduate fellowships, mini-residency programs and facility adaptations for hands-on training.

7. College of New Caledonia

Project: Mobile Dental Hygiene Initiative
Funding: $268,000
Description: Purchases mobile dental-hygiene units to support hands-on student training while delivering services to long-term-care residents.

8. Vancouver Community College

Project: Oral Health Simulation Lab
Funding: $2,526,320
Description: Establishes a simulation lab with extended-reality scenarios to prepare students for treating children with complex care needs.

9. Vancouver College of Dental Hygiene

Project: Acquisition of Mobile Dental Units
Funding: $802,842
Description: Deploys six mobile units to enhance community outreach and provide dental care for underserved populations, including seniors in long-term care.

Related: Changes, challenges, opportunities and the CDCP

Manitoba

10. University of Manitoba

Project: Addressing dental faculties’ short-term financial needs
Funding: $336,000
Description: Covers CDCP co-payments and procedures for non-insured patients to ensure participation in university training clinics. Funds also support a sessional patient recruiter.

11. University of Manitoba

Project: National Educational Modules
Funding: $3,592,000
Description: Develops evidence-based, patient-centred online modules accessible nationwide to improve culturally competent oral-health training.

12. University of Manitoba

Project: Building Community Ties for Better Oral Health
Funding: $344,740
Description: Creates an Oral Health Community Liaison to strengthen partnerships with organizations serving people lacking access to dental care.

13. University of Manitoba

Project: Postgraduate Internship in Community Oral Health
Funding: $1,887,331
Description: Establishes a pilot internship program in community oral health and dental public health for new dentists and hygienists.

New Brunswick

14. Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick

Funding: $306,580
Project: Ateliers de sensibilisation et soins buccodentaires pour les populations vulnérables
Description: Supports hands-on training for dental assistant students in long-term care, elementary schools and First Nations communities.

15. Oulton College

Funding: $245,431
Project: Dental Hygiene Access Fund
Description: Expands no-cost oral-health services and purchases equipment to accommodate 26 additional dental-hygiene students.

Nova Scotia

16. Dalhousie University

Funding: $424,000
Project: Addressing dental faculties’ short-term financial needs
Description: Supports training opportunities, identifies cost-related treatment deferrals and strengthens outreach. Focus populations include African Nova Scotians, newcomers and non-tax filers.

17. Dalhousie University

Funding: $1,980,151
Project: Inclusive Patient-Centred Oral Healthcare Model
Description: Enhances training for students and practising professionals with a focus on special-care dentistry and equity-deserving communities.

Ontario

18. University of Toronto

Funding: $733,627
Project: Addressing dental faculties’ short-term financial needs
Description: Funds CDCP coverage for patients in training clinics and supports patient-recruitment activities.

19. Western University

Funding: $613,000
Project: Addressing dental faculties’ short-term financial needs
Description: Ensures adequate training opportunities and expands outreach to non-insured families, seniors and newcomers.

20. Western University

Funding: $2,343,399
Project: Community Service Learning at Schulich Dentistry
Description: Expands the Community Service Learning program to strengthen real-world training for DDS students.

21. University of Toronto

Funding: $1,672,823
Project: Person-Centred Emergency Dental Care for All
Description: Supports a no-cost urgent dental clinic serving walk-ins and patients referred from emergency departments, food banks and disability-support agencies.

22. University of Toronto

Funding: $527,898
Project: Micro-Credential for Rural and Remote Dental Clinics
Description: Develops micro-credentials to upskill dentists teaching in rural and remote community clinics.

23. Cambrian College

Funding: $2,693,776
Project: Dental Program Expansions
Description: Establishes northeastern Ontario’s first Level II dental assisting program and expands dental-hygiene capacity.

24. Canadore College

Funding: $631,595
Project: VR Training for Students Supporting People with Cognitive Impairment
Description: Develops immersive VR modules to train students caring for patients with early-stage dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Prince Edward Island

25. Holland College

Funding: $1,766,445
Project: Cultural Competency Gaps in Dental Assisting Education
Description: Enhances cultural-competency training and provides hands-on experiences for students and faculty.

Québec

26. McGill University

Funding: $397,000
Project: Addressing dental faculties’ short-term financial needs
Description: Covers CDCP co-payments and procedures for underserved populations, including newcomers and those facing housing insecurity.

Saskatchewan

27. University of Saskatchewan

Funding: $3,076,284
Project: Expanding Dental Therapy Education to NWT
Description: Extends the Bachelor of Science in Dental Therapy program to the Northwest Territories through a “learn where you live” model in partnership with Aurora College.

28. University of Saskatchewan

Funding: $1,193,826
Project: Field Clinic Practicums for Dental Therapy Students
Description: Enhances practicum placements in non-urban settings to improve access for priority populations.

29. University of Saskatchewan

Funding: $411,000
Project: Addressing dental faculties’ short-term financial needs
Description: Expands patient access, strengthens partnerships and reduces financial barriers to support clinical training.

30. Saskatchewan Polytechnic

Funding: $238,049
Project: Oral Hygiene Instructional Video Series
Description: Produces instructional videos to improve student competency in procedures with limited clinical exposure.