How does dental care work in Canada?
Routine dental care is not covered by Canada’s universal health care.
This means that unless you have other coverage, you pay out of pocket for most routine dental services – like cleanings, x-rays, and fillings – as well as for major dental services, like root canals, crowns or orthodontics.
There are a few exceptions to this:
- Government health care will cover you for some in-hospital dental surgeries, like tumor removal or fracture repair.
- Some Canadians may have some coverage through the Canada Dental Care PlanOpens a new website in a new window, although eligibility and reimbursement can be quite limited.
- There are also other government programs aimed at certain groups of Canadians, including veterans, First Nations and Inuit, those receiving disability support, and children under 12 who don’t have other dental coverage.
How do you get dental care coverage in Canada?
There are 3 ways that most Canadians get coverage for dental care.
Workplace benefits
Your employer provides these benefits, which often include dental care as part of a bigger plan that also includes things like prescription drugs, vision care, or paramedical services like massage therapy.
Personal insurance
Personal health and dental policies can help pay for dental care costs incurred to treat you or a member of your family for routine or major dental services. The details of coverage are set out in the policy.
Canada Dental Care Plan
This government plans aims to reduce the financial barriers to dental care for Canadians who have no other way to access coverage. You must have a combined household income of less than $90,000 per year. You also need to be a Canadian resident for tax purposes, and have filed your Canadian tax return for the year before. Co-pays, or the amount that you’re responsible for, is on a sliding scale based on your income.
Do you still need workplace benefits or a personal plan now that the CDCP has launched?
The CDCP only covers certain people and certain procedures, so it’s a good idea to ensure you have other coverage in place to avoid having to pay out of pocket for treatment.
There are a few key things to remember about the CDCP:
It only covers Canadians with a household income of less than $90,000, and who don’t have any other coverage available to them. For example, you can’t opt out of any existing coverage through your workplace plan to enrol in CDCP.
Dental costs may not be fully covered by the CDCP. Depending on your income, you may still have to pay for part of these costs – and the CDCP benefits may be less than the benefits that would be paid under a workplace benefits or personal insurance plan.
For example, if you visit the dentist once a year for a routine cleaning costing $200, you only pay $30 with Canada Life Freedom To Choose™ health and dental insurance at 85% coverage. If your income is between $80-89k you can expect to pay $120 with the CDCP at 40% coverage.
Not all dentists may participate in the CDCP. That’s why it’s important to speak with your dentist to see if they’re able to provide you care under this plan.
Some services are not being covered by the CDCP until 2025. There may also be other changes as the roll out continues. The government of Canada’s siteOpens a new website in a new window is the best place to find the latest information on this, so be sure to consult it regularly.
How can Canadians get dentalcare coverage?
- A workplace benefits plan
- Personal insurance plan, like Canada Life’s Freedom to Choose health and dental insurance
- Apply for the CDCP if and when you’re eligible