Renewals will run April 15 to June 1, 2026
Human resources professionals are encouraged to remind their workers that they should soon renew their coverage under the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).
The federal government is calling on millions of Canadians enrolled in the program to renew their coverage for the 2026–27 benefit year.
“This is about making life more healthy and more affordable for Canadians. I encourage everyone to renew their coverage and continue receiving benefits without interruption," said Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health.
Renewals will be open from April 15 to June 1, 2026.
Administered by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the CDCP now covers more than 6.3 million Canadians and is saving eligible participants about $900 a year on average in oral health costs, according to the department. More than 4 million Canadians have already seen an oral health provider under the program, according to the federal government.
Eligibility and renewal requirements
To renew their CDCP coverage, existing plan members must first have filed their 2025 income tax return and received their 2025 Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency.
They must then re-attest that they:
- do not have access to private dental insurance
- have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000 based on their most recent tax information (and that of a partner, if applicable)
- are Canadian residents for tax purposes.
Renewals can be completed online or by phone. ESDC notes that renewing by June 1 will allow members to remain covered without interruption for the 2026–27 benefit year.
Throughout the renewal period and beyond, Employment and Social Development Canada and Service Canada will provide updates on social media, at Service Canada Centres and on federal web channels to help eligible members maintain uninterrupted coverage.
Plan members who do not renew by June 1 will still be able to enrol again starting June 2 by beginning a new application, but they are likely to experience a gap in coverage. Oral health services received during this gap will not be covered or reimbursed retroactively.
CDCP coverage
The CDCP is targeted at Canadians without access to private dental insurance and with adjusted family net incomes below $90,000. Employment and Social Development Canada describes it as one of the most significant social programs of its time, aimed at improving both affordability and health outcomes.
“Dental care should never be out of reach. Thanks to the Canadian Dental Care Plan, millions of Canadian residents now have access to the treatments they need to maintain a healthy smile – many for the first time in years,” said the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario. “This program is helping build a healthier, more equitable Canada, one person at a time.”
Ottawa revealed details of the CDCP rollout in late 2023. Budget 2023 announced an investment of $13 billion over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $4.4 billion ongoing, to implement the CDCP.
In 2024, the federal government launched an ad campaign in support of the program.
Despite the benefit, some stakeholders have criticised the CDCP. Andrew Ostro, CEO and co-founder of PolicyMe, previously shared with HRD the gaps in the program.
In 2025, the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) called on the federal government to:
- Streamline the pre-authorization process, with clearer criteria and reasons why patients are denied treatment, faster turnaround times, and fixes to system errors.
- Improve public communication so that patients understand not all services and treatment are covered and that the CDCP does not provide free dental care. This will help reduce confusion and frustration for patients.
- Protect access to existing employer-sponsored dental benefits by ensuring the program complements—not displaces—private dental coverage.
