The Canadian Dental Care Plan
The Canadian Dental Care Plan pays part or all of the cost of oral health care for residents who have no access to dental insurance and a family income under the federal limit.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
For the 2026-2027 benefit period, the Canadian Dental Care Plan, often searched as the Canada dental benefit, is open to residents whose adjusted family net income is under $90,000, who have no access to private dental insurance, who filed a tax return in Canada and who are residents of Canada for tax purposes. The share you pay depends on that income. Under $70,000, the plan covers all eligible costs at CDCP fees and the co-payment is 0 %. From $70,000 to $79,999, the plan pays 60 % and you pay 40 %. From $80,000 to $89,999, the plan pays 40 % and you pay 60 %. At $90,000 or more, the plan does not apply. On a $1,200 treatment billed at CDCP fees, that means $0, $480 or $720 out of pocket. You pay the co-payment directly to the dentist or other oral health provider, plus any amount the provider charges above the CDCP fee. Coverage through a provincial, territorial or federal social program does not, by itself, rule you out. Applications are open for the 2026-2027 period.
Your share of a dental bill under the CDCP
Your co-payment
$160.00
| CDCP pays | $240.00 |
| Co-payment rate | 40 % |
A dentist who charges more than the CDCP fee can bill you the difference on top.
The four conditions
The federal qualification page lists four requirements, and an applicant must meet all of them:
- no access to private dental insurance or coverage;
- a tax return filed in Canada, by you and by your spouse or common-law partner if you have one;
- an adjusted family net income under $90,000;
- residence in Canada for tax purposes.
The page does not set an age condition. Children, working-age adults and seniors are assessed on the same four points.
What “access to insurance” means
The first condition is the one that excludes most people with jobs. You are considered to have access to dental coverage if it is available through your employer or pension plan, through a family member’s employer or pension plan, through a professional or student organization, or through a plan you purchased. The word used is access, so it is worth checking whether such a plan is available to you or your family before applying.
Government programs are treated differently. Dental coverage through a provincial, territorial or federal government social program does not on its own disqualify you. Someone receiving that kind of coverage can still qualify for the CDCP if the other three conditions are met.
The income limit and the three bands
Income is measured as adjusted family net income, a family figure drawn from your return and your spouse’s. Because it is net income, deductions such as RRSP contributions lower it. The plan uses three bands, set out on the coverage page:
| Adjusted family net income | CDCP pays | You pay | Your share of a $1,200 treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| $45,000 | 100 % | 0 % | $0 |
| $69,999 | 100 % | 0 % | $0 |
| $70,000 | 60 % | 40 % | $480 |
| $79,999 | 60 % | 40 % | $480 |
| $80,000 | 40 % | 60 % | $720 |
| $89,999 | 40 % | 60 % | $720 |
| $90,000 | – | 100 % | $1,200 |
The bands are steps. A family just under $70,000 pays nothing on covered services at CDCP fees, and the same family with one more dollar of income pays 40 %. The second step, at $80,000, raises the share to 60 %. At $90,000, the plan stops entirely. For a family near one of these lines and planning major work, the difference is real: on a $1,200 treatment, the move from the first band to the second costs $480.
What the co-payment is, and what it is not
The coverage page defines the co-payment as the percentage of CDCP fees that the plan does not cover, which you pay directly to the oral health provider. Two details follow. First, the percentage applies to the CDCP fee for the service, the amount set in the plan’s grid, not to whatever the office charges. Second, the co-payment is not the whole of what you may pay.
A provider can charge more than the CDCP fee. In that case you owe the co-payment plus the gap between the provider’s price and what the plan reimburses. You also pay for services the plan does not cover. A family in the first band can therefore receive a bill, even with a 0 % co-payment, if the office bills above the plan’s fees. Asking for an estimate that separates the CDCP portion from any extra is the simplest protection.
Your share of a dental bill under the CDCP
Your co-payment
$160.00
| CDCP pays | $240.00 |
| Co-payment rate | 40 % |
A dentist who charges more than the CDCP fee can bill you the difference on top.
Which services are covered
The plan groups covered care in four families of services: diagnostic and preventive services; basic restorative, endodontic and periodontal services; major restorative, removable prosthodontic and oral surgery services; and anesthesia and sedation. Some services need preauthorization, which means the provider asks the plan for approval before doing the work. The coverage page names crowns, dentures, certain gum treatments and deep sedation in that group. Asking the office whether the request has been approved before the appointment is the patient’s best check.
Applying for 2026-2027
The federal application page states that applications are open for the 2026-2027 benefit period. Before applying, check the four conditions, especially access to insurance through a job held by you or a family member, and make sure both returns have been filed.
How the plan sits next to other benefits
The CDCP is not paid in cash, unlike most programs on this site. It works on the same income logic, though, and families who qualify often also receive the Canada child benefit and the Groceries and Essentials Benefit, which the GST credit calculator estimates. Adults with a disability may also look at the Canada Disability Benefit, and low-income workers at the Canada workers benefit. Seniors who get Old Age Security and have no dental plan from a former employer are assessed on the same four conditions.
These rules come from the federal CDCP pages as modified in August and September 2026. The plan’s own decision letter gives your eligibility and co-payment band.