The Canadian Dental Care Plan has been in operation for almost a year now. In this time, it has grown in popularity significantly. Now, the plan has reached another milestone, with over one million Canadians having now accessed services under the plan. Eligibility will continue to increase over the next few months.
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) has been in full swing now for approximately a year, with many people receiving much-needed oral healthcare.
Now, the CDCP has reached a new milestone – with more than one million Canadians having now accessed services offered by the CDCP [1].
This milestone moment also coincides with more services becoming eligible under the plan. These exciting developments are continuing to boost oral health for Canadians.
About the Canadian Dental Care Plan
The Canadian Dental Care Plan launched in December 2023 [2]. It is being rolled out gradually, with different groups of people becoming eligible over time.
Dental costs have proven to be prohibitive for many Canadians in the past, with research finding that approximately 25% of Canadians avoided seeing a dentist in 2022 due to cost [2].
Therefore, many people, including the most vulnerable, have typically struggled with accessing oral healthcare in the past. This made the CDCP vital for many Canadians.
The plan helps those with an annual family income of less than $90,000 [2]. The Canadian Federal Government have put $13 billion aside to fund the plan.
Current status of the Canadian Dental Care Plan
In a milestone moment, the Government of Canada announced that as of the start of November, more than one million Canadians have now received care under the CDCP [1].
This is a fantastic achievement and shows the scale of how many people are benefiting from the plan. For many, this is the first time in several years that they are receiving dental care.
Terry Beech, Minister of Citizens’ Services, has said that “many families who once faced barriers to affordable dental care are now accessing the treatments they need” [1].
Of the 1 million who have accessed treatment, just over 400,000 come from Ontario. Quebec and British Columbia are other provinces that have had many patients receiving care [3].
Uptake has been slower in some areas, with Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan among the provinces with under 50,000 patients receiving care [3].
The government has announced that over 2.7 million Canadians have been approved to participate in the plan, which is being administered by Sun Life [1].
More than 22,000 oral health providers – which accounts for almost 90% of dental providers in Canada – are offering services under the CDCP [1]. This number has consistently risen month-by-month. Therefore, there is plenty of choice of providers for Canadians.
Increase in services being offered
In further good news, the CDCP will now begin accepting preauthorization requests – which will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine whether or not it meets clinical requirements for CDCP coverage [1].
Therefore, this means that patients could receive coverage for services that typically wouldn’t be considered under the CDCP – such as placement of partial dentures, placement of crowns, or other complex services [1].
The provider will need to submit a preauthorization request directly to Sun Life, including supporting documentation to justify its use [1].
This could cut costs further for many patients. Moreover, it could help patients receive complex treatments that they may need, but couldn’t previously afford [1]. Therefore, this will certainly help their oral health.
In a further effort to broaden access to care, providers will also be able to submit paper claims, rather than purely electronic based claims [1]. This will mean more providers will be able to offer services under the CDCP.
Eligibility expansion
Eligibility continues to be slowly expanded. Over the last few months, more and more Canadians have become eligible for the CDCP [1].
Those aged 65 or over, adults with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate for 2023, and parents or guardians with children under 18 can all apply currently for the CDCP [1].
As discussed earlier, over 1 million people have met the above criteria and gone on to get treatment. This represents a sizeable number of people, though many are not yet eligible for the plan.
Eventually, eligibility will extend to all Canadians. This is due to be at some point in 2025, although the exact date has not yet been confirmed [1].
Health Minister Mark Holland has said “early in 2025 is when we’re looking to expand to additional cohorts” – suggesting that the expansion could be sooner rather than later.
These are definitely positive updates. The CDCP continues to attract registrations, with the oral health of Canadians being boosted. Hopefully this trend will continue, with sweeping improvements in oral health across the nation.
Thinking points…
1) It seems a long wait for the majority of the population to become eligible for the CDCP. However, it is important to not wait to become eligible for the plan before getting oral health treatment. Instead, make sure you carry on attending regular check-ups, as these allow a dentist to take a look at your oral health. We recommend booking an appointment now!
2) We discussed earlier about how cost proves to be a big barrier to receiving dental care for many people. Therefore, many are unable to afford dental care. However, here at our Calgary-based dental clinic Savanna Dental, our prices are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide, which ensures transparency and competitiveness in prices. We would love you to visit our Calgary dental clinic! You can see more about us on our website: https://savannadentalclinic.ca/!
What we offer at Savanna Dental
Savanna Dental is a dental clinic based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We provide our patients with a range of treatment options and advice, with the aim of improving oral health and boosting overall wellbeing!
We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a dental check-up. If any problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals. To try and prevent problems, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly.
Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign™! Our patients find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.
In addition, the fees of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.
We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca/!
References
[1] Oral Health. (2024). Federal dental plan expands services Nov. 1 after ‘milestone’ of helping more than one million Canadians. Available: https://www.oralhealthgroup.com/oral-health/federal-dental-plan-expands-services-nov-1-after-milestone-of-helping-more-than-one-million-canadians-1003982203/. Last accessed: 7th November 2024.
[2] Health Canada. (2024). Government of Canada announces the services covered under the Canadian Dental Care Plan. Available: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2024/02/government-of-canada-announces-the-services-covered-under-the-canadian-dental-care-plan.html. Last accessed: 7th November 2024.
[3] Government of Canada. (2024). Canadian Dental Care Plan. Available: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/dental/dental-care-plan/statistics.html. Last accessed: 7th November 2024.
