Federal

Canadian Dental Care Plan

Complex application

Apply for when filing your taxes

The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is a new benefit that will help ease financial barriers to accessing oral health care for eligible Canadian residents.

Current as of May 2025:
All eligible Canadians can now apply for the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).

PROGRAM UPDATE:

Applications for the 2026-2027 benefit year are now open.

If you had coverage for the 2025-2026 benefit year and did not renew by June 1, 2026, you can re-apply, but you may have a gap in coverage.

The plan is managed by Sun Life Canada. Once you apply and your eligibility has been confirmed, your information will be shared with Sun Life who will then enroll you in the CDCP.

You will receive a welcome package from Sun Life which will include:

  • Information on the CDCP
  • Your member card
  • Your coverage start date.

The oral health services covered by the CDCP include:

  • preventive services, including scaling (cleaning), sealants and fluoride
  • diagnostic services, including examinations and x-rays
  • restorative services, including fillings
  • endodontic services, including root canal treatments
  • prosthodontic services, including:
    • complete dentures, and
    • partial removable dentures
  • periodontal services, including deep scaling
  • oral surgery services, including extractions

The CDCP will not reimburse you for services received before the start date of May 2024.

When booking an appointment with an oral health provider, make sure to ask if they are participating in the CDCP to limit any unexpected costs that you may have to pay yourself.

Some services will require preauthorization before the treatment to ensure the fees are covered by the plan. Services requiring preauthorization will become available in November 2024.

To be eligible for the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP):

  • You must not have access to dental insurance from an employee, professional, pension, student or private plan
  • You have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000
  • You are a Canadian resident for tax purposes
  • You have filed your tax return in the previous year

If you have dental coverage through a provincial, territorial, or federal government social program, you may still be eligible for CDCP. If you meet all the eligibility criteria, your coverage will be coordinated between the plans to ensure there are no duplication or gaps in coverage.

You will need to meet the eligibility requirements each year to qualify for the CDCP.

Documents listed in this section are examples of what can be included with your application. Please review the application instructions (How to Apply tab) to confirm the supplemental and required documents for this benefit.

You’ll need to provide the following information for each applicant (yourself and any dependants), and your spouse or common-law partner (if applicable):

  • Social Insurance Number (SIN) (if available for children)
  • date of birth
  • full name
  • home and mailing address
  • list of dental coverage through government social programs (if applicable)

The Canadian Dental Care Plan application process is now open to eligible Canadians of all ages. Find out if you are eligible now to apply.

You can apply for this benefit online or via phone. Please click here for application methods and instructions.

Last reviewed: September 30, 2026