But more than 2 million have not yet accessed dental services
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) has reached new milestones, now providing coverage to more than five million Canadians, according to Health Canada.
Close to 2.8 million Canadians have accessed services from participating providers.
In Ontario alone, over two million people are now covered under the CDCP, with more than one million having already received dental care.
“The Canadian Dental Care Plan is having a profound impact on the lives of Canadians – improving both health and affordability for eligible members,” said Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health. “The strong uptake for the CDCP underscores the need for affordable oral health care across the country and the important role that all oral health providers play in improving the overall health of Canadians.”
In mid-2024, the federal government announced that all dental care providers can provide care under the plan on a claim-by-claim basis without formally signing up. Close to 100% of active dentists, denturists, dental hygienists, and dental specialists in Canada—including those in educational institutions—are caring for patients covered under the program.
In May 2025, the new government expanded the CDCP to eligible Canadians aged 18 to 64 who:
- do not have access to dental insurance
- have filed their individual 2024 tax return in Canada (and their spouse’s or common-law partner’s, if applicable)
- have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000
- are a Canadian resident for tax purposes.
Benefits of CDCP
The CDCP is credited with saving eligible members an average of $800 per year on dental care. During the 2024-25 benefit year, members saved nearly $900 on average, and for the current benefit year, the average savings are close to $700.
For some members, the CDCP has enabled their first visit to an oral health provider in decades. Health Canada says that improved access to dental care is helping to reduce emergency room visits for dental issues, which cost the health care system more than $31 million in 2022-23.
In 2023-24, more than one in four (28%) Canadians reported they had not visited an oral health care professional at all in the previous 12 months, according to data from Statistics Canada (StatCan). Among Canadians who had not visited an oral health professional in the previous 12 months, nearly half (49%) said the barrier was the cost.
When asked for specific reasons for avoiding dental care, nearly two-thirds of these households (63%) reported they could not pay for the amount not covered by insurance, while one-quarter (25%) said they could not afford to pay up front and wait for reimbursement.
CDCP members who do not already have an oral health provider can consult Sun Life's CDCP Provider Search to find one in their community.
