What Does the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) Cover?

The plan does a good job with the care most people actually need. Routine checkups and preventive care are covered without any approval in advance. If your exam turns up a cavity, basic fillings and restorations are covered as well, and that’s where a lot of CDCP visits end up.

Bigger problems are on the list too. An infected or badly decayed tooth can often be saved with root canal treatment, which falls under the plan’s endodontic services. And if you’ve lost most of your teeth, complete removable dentures are covered, along with repairs and relines.

Columbus Dental Centre has been a trusted dental clinic in Woodbridge for over 26 years, and we accept CDCP patients along with new patients who have private insurance or no coverage at all. If you want us to check what your plan will pay before treatment starts, you can book online or call +1 647-931-1100.

What is the Canadian Dental Care Plan?

The CDCP is a federal dental insurance program run by Health Canada, with claims handled by Sun Life. It started rolling out in 2024 and now covers eligible residents of every age group.

It works like insurance. The plan pays a set portion of the cost of covered services, based on its own fee guide. Your dentist bills the plan directly, so you’re not paying the full amount up front and waiting for a cheque.

It’s meant for people who fall through the cracks: retirees without a workplace plan, contract workers, part-timers, and families whose employer doesn’t offer benefits.

Who qualifies for CDCP coverage?

You generally qualify if all of these apply to you:

• You’re a resident of Canada for tax purposes.
• Your adjusted family net income is under $90,000.
• You don’t have access to private dental insurance (and that includes coverage through a spouse, a pension, or a health spending account).
• You, and your spouse or common-law partner if you have one, filed a tax return for the previous year.

Coverage runs by benefit year. Applications for the 2026 to 2027 year opened on June 2, 2026, and they’re still open to people who missed the renewal deadline. If you were enrolled last year, check that your renewal went through before your next appointment. It’s an easy thing to miss.

Do you pay anything with CDCP?

Maybe. It depends on your income.

• Under $70,000: no co-payment on covered services.
• $70,000 to $79,999: you pay a 40% co-payment.
• $80,000 to $89,999: you pay a 60% co-payment.

There’s one more piece people forget. The CDCP pays according to its fee guide, and a clinic’s regular fees can be higher. When that happens, you may see an extra charge for the difference. A good dental office in Woodbridge will tell you about that before the work starts, so you’re never surprised at the front desk.

What dental services does the CDCP cover?

Here’s a plain summary of the covered categories, based on the plan’s published coverage list. Every service still has to be recommended by your dental professional and meet the plan’s rules.

Frequency limits apply to a lot of these. The plan will pay for cleanings or X-rays only so many times in a period, for example. If your gums need more frequent care, your dentist can ask for coverage beyond the limit through preauthorization.

What isn’t covered by the CDCP?

The exclusions are firm. The current Dental Benefits Guide (effective April 1, 2026) lists them as services that can’t be covered at any time.

• Dental implants and everything tied to them, including implant crowns, implant-supported dentures and bone grafts.
• Veneers, whether composite or porcelain.
• Teeth whitening and other purely cosmetic work.
• Orthodontics such as braces, which aren’t available under the plan for now.
• Services outside the plan’s benefits guide.

That doesn’t mean you can’t get those treatments. We place dental implants, offer professional teeth whitening, and do full smile design at our Woodbridge office. You’d just pay for them privately, or through a private plan if you switch to one later.

What is preauthorization, and how does it work?

Preauthorization is the plan’s way of checking that a bigger treatment meets its clinical rules before you commit. Think of it as a yes or no on paper, before anyone picks up a drill.

The process usually looks like this:

1. Exam and X-rays. Your dentist confirms what’s wrong and what the tooth needs.
2. Treatment plan submitted. The office sends the plan, codes and images to the CDCP.
3. Review. The plan checks it against its guidelines. This can take a few weeks.
4. Decision. You and the clinic get an answer, approved or denied.
5. Treatment. If approved, you book the appointment and the plan pays its share.

One thing to keep in mind: preauthorization only applies to services that are already on the covered list. It won’t open the door to something excluded, like an implant.

Can a same-day CEREC crown be covered?

Crowns are covered with preauthorization when a tooth is too damaged for a filling. We make CEREC same day crowns in Woodbridge, which means a ceramic crown designed, milled and fitted in one appointment instead of two visits and a temporary.

If your crown is approved, the plan pays its share toward it. Depending on the material and the plan’s fee guide, there may be a difference to cover. We’ll walk you through that before booking, in plain numbers, so the decision is yours.

How does CDCP compare with private dental insurance?

If you’re weighing a new job offer with benefits, or you’re about to retire and lose your workplace plan, this comparison helps.

So which is better? For basic and restorative care, CDCP holds up well, especially at the no co-pay income level. Private plans tend to win on implants and orthodontics.

And you can’t stack them. Once you have access to a private plan, CDCP eligibility usually ends. If your situation changes mid-year, let your dental office know so the right plan gets billed.

What if you’re between plans?

This happens a lot with job changes. If you lose private coverage and meet the income rules, you can apply for CDCP. Until your coverage starts, keep up with cleanings if you can, since small problems left for months tend to become bigger ones. We’re happy to plan treatment in stages around your coverage dates.

What do people get wrong about CDCP?

We hear the same few mix-ups at the front desk every week. Here are the big ones.

• “It’s completely free.” It’s free of co-payments only for families under $70,000, and only for covered services at the plan’s fee guide rate.
• “Every dentist takes it.” Participation is voluntary for providers. Call first. Columbus Dental Centre does accept CDCP patients.
• “I’m approved, so I’m covered for life.” Coverage is renewed each benefit year, and your income and insurance status are checked again.
• “My spouse’s work plan doesn’t matter.” If you have access to private dental coverage through anyone in your household, you likely won’t qualify.
• “I can appeal to get an implant covered.” Implants are an exclusion, and exclusions aren’t eligible for reconsideration.

How do you get ready for your first CDCP visit?

1. Find your member card or member ID from your Sun Life welcome package.
2. Confirm your coverage dates for the current benefit year.
3. Write down any medications and health conditions.
4. List the problems bothering you, even small ones like a sensitive tooth.
5. Ask the office for a treatment estimate that shows what CDCP pays and what you’d pay.

That last step matters most. A clear estimate is the difference between a calm visit and a stressful one.

Why your choice of dentist still matters

CDCP decides what gets paid. The quality of care comes down to the clinic you pick.

Every dentist at our office is licensed with the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO), the body that regulates dentistry in the province. That registration means proper training, infection control standards and accountability to patients.

As a family dentist in Woodbridge, we see kids, parents and grandparents under one roof. Our services cover smile design, dentures and bridges, CEREC crowns and veneers, oral surgery, fillings, root canals, dental implants, teeth whitening, preventive care, children’s dentistry and laser dentistry.

We’re open late on Mondays (10:00 AM to 8:00 PM) and on Saturdays (9:00 AM to 4:00 PM), which helps if you work weekdays. You’ll find us at Suite #201, 8333 Weston Rd, Woodbridge, Ontario. You can also email columbusdentalcentre@gmail.com with your CDCP questions, and we usually reply quickly.

Frequently asked questions about CDCP coverage