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CDCP

Canadian Dental Care Plan: who qualifies, what it covers, and finding a dentist

Updated October 24, 2026 · 6 min read · General information, not dental advice

Income limit
$90,000
No co-pay under
$70,000
Co-pay above that
40% / 60%
Braces
Not covered

The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) pays for dental care for Canadian residents with an adjusted family net income under $90,000 who have no access to dental insurance. It is free to apply.

Below $70,000 there is no co-payment. Between $70,000 and $79,999 you pay 40% of the CDCP fee, and between $80,000 and $89,999 you pay 60%. On top of that, a dentist can charge more than the CDCP fee and bill you the difference, so ask before you book.

Finding a dentist is the hard part: Sun Life runs the plan’s provider search, and canada.ca itself says not every participating provider is in it. Calling offices near you and asking “do you accept CDCP and bill Sun Life directly?” still works best.

Who qualifies

  • Adjusted family net income under $90,000.
  • No access to dental insurance or coverage, including a health spending account that covers dental, even if you never use it.
  • You (and your spouse or common-law partner) are Canadian residents for tax purposes.
  • You (and your spouse or common-law partner) filed a Canadian tax return for the previous year.

Retired people who opted out of pension dental coverage before December 11, 2023 and cannot opt back in are an exception to the insurance rule.

What you pay

Co-payment as a share of the CDCP established fee, by adjusted family net income. Checked October 24, 2026.
Adjusted family net incomeYou pay
Under $70,000Nothing
$70,000 to $79,99940% of the CDCP fee
$80,000 to $89,99960% of the CDCP fee

Canada.ca’s example: a dentist charges $145 for 2 units of scaling; the CDCP fee is $134. At the 40% level the patient pays the $11 difference plus a $53.60 co-payment, $64.60 in all, and the plan pays $80.40.

What it covers

  • Exams, x-rays, cleanings (scaling), fluoride and sealants.
  • Fillings and other cavity treatment.
  • Root canals.
  • Gum disease treatment, including cleaning under the gumline.
  • Complete dentures, denture repairs and relines.
  • Tooth removal and other oral surgery.
  • Nitrous oxide and oral sedation.

These need approval before treatment (preauthorization):

• Crowns, and posts and cores for crowns.

• Partial, immediate and overdentures.

• Root canal re-treatment.

• Conscious sedation, deep sedation and general anesthesia.

What it doesn’t cover

  • Orthodontics (braces): not currently available under the plan.
  • Whatever your provider charges above the CDCP established fee.

Finding a dentist who accepts the CDCP

  • Sun Life runs the CDCP provider search, but canada.ca says not every participating provider is listed in it.
  • Canada.ca suggests calling dental offices and dental school clinics and asking whether they accept CDCP patients.
  • Before you book, ask the office to confirm it will bill Sun Life directly, and what it will charge above the CDCP fee.

Denturists, dental hygienists and dental school clinics can be CDCP providers too, which helps if you need dentures or a cleaning.

Questions people ask

+Do all dentists accept the Canadian Dental Care Plan?

No. Providers choose whether to take CDCP patients, and the Sun Life provider search doesn’t list every one that does. Call the office and ask whether they accept CDCP and bill Sun Life directly.

+Does the CDCP cover braces?

No. Canada.ca says orthodontic services are currently not available under the plan.

+Can a dentist charge me more than the CDCP pays?

Yes. A provider can charge more than the CDCP established fee and bill you the difference, on top of any co-payment. Ask what you will owe before treatment.

+Is the CDCP free?

There is no fee to apply or renew. Families under $70,000 pay no co-payment; between $70,000 and $89,999 the co-payment is 40% or 60% of the CDCP fee.

Where these prices come from

Checked October 24, 2026.

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Prices are Canadian list and published prices before tax on the date above, linked to their source; they change with sales and the exchange rate. Product names belong to their owners; we are not affiliated with any manufacturer.