The Canadian Dental Benefit: How Many Families Have Applied?

Applications for the Canadian Dental Benefit are in full swing, with thousands of applications already being made. While there have been some concerns about the timing of the benefit becoming available, the early uptake should assuage any concerns. The hope is that the oral health of Canadians will improve over the coming years.

The Canadian Dental Benefit recently opened, and there has already been a strong uptake in applications, in positive news for oral health.

Within the first week of opening, 35,000 people had already applied for the benefit [1]. Considering these are the figures after just one week, there is the expectation that numbers will rise further.

The hope is that oral health among younger people in China will improve significantly in the years to come, as the full positives of this benefit are felt.

What is the Canadian Dental Benefit?

The dental benefit was officially launched on 1st December 2022. This was a key part of the Canadian government’s commitment to assisting citizens through the current cost of living crisis.

The benefit is for families with a child or children under the age of 12 – that are either low or middle-income families that do not have private insurance [2]. Eligible families can receive up to $650 per child each year to assist with the cost of dental care.

This arrangement is a short-term compromise that forms part of the Canadian National Dental Plan. This is a plan between the New Democratic Party and the ruling Liberal Party – as part of their supply and confidence agreement.

The long-term aim is to provide assistance to all Canadian citizens, rather than just children. This should result in a vast improvement in the oral health of Canadians.

Early Uptake in Applications

There has been a very positive response to the benefit. Within just a week of applications opening, there have been 35,000 applications [1]! This represents a very strong start to the plan.

The figure came in a meeting at the House of Commons. A question from an opposition member asked how many people had applied, following concerns over the timing of the plan, and the cost to the government and taxpayer.

Social Development Minister Karina Gould said that 35,000 people had applied for the benefit [1]. This helped to ease concerns over the plan from the opposition.

This is a very strong figure. The numbers are expected to rise further in the coming weeks. Moreover, as the benefit opens up to more people, more applications are expected to come in.

The government has said that they expect to receive approximately 500,000 applications for the benefit program [1].

Claiming the Benefit

If you wish to join the 35,000 existing applications, you can apply through the Canadian Revenue Agency [3].

Families need to provide the name of the child’s dentist or dental hygienist, the date or month of the appointment and employer information. As mentioned, there are other eligibility requirements, mainly around family income.

These are certainly positive times for Canadian oral health. We will hopefully see an improvement over the next few years, especially in children.

Thinking points…

1) The Dental Benefit has certainly proven popular so far. One reason behind this is the cost of dental care in Canada. However, here at Savanna Dental, our prices are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide. Therefore, our fees are fully transparent and trustworthy. We would love you to visit our Calgary dental clinic soon!

2) In the forthcoming years, the National Dental Plan will be launched. While this is exciting, anyone who is planning on waiting for the plan to be created before going to the dentist is running a very high risk. Remember, dental problems don’t get better on their own, and will actually worsen over time. Therefore, it is important to continue to attend dental appointments in the interim. We would love you to visit our Calgary dental clinic soon for a check-up, why not book an appointment now!

What we offer at Savanna Dental

Savanna Dental is a Calgary dental clinic that provide its patients with a range of treatment options and advice aimed at improving oral health.

It is crucial to brush your teeth at least twice a day and to floss regularly. Moreover, eating healthily and trying to avoid sugary foods and drink is important.

We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a regular dental check-up. When problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals.

Here at [clinic], we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign™! Many people find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.

In addition, all of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are 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] Osman, L. (2022). Federal child dental benefit has seen 35,000 applications in first week: minister. Available: https://globalnews.ca/news/9333855/canada-federal-child-dental-benefit/. Last accessed: 16th December 2022.

[2] Ontario Dental Association. (2022). Canadian Dental Care Plan. Available: https://www.oda.ca/visiting-the-dentist/government-dental-programs/canadian-dental-care-plan/. Last accessed: 16th December 2022.

[3] Government of Canada. (2022). Canadian Dental Benefit How to apply. Available: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/dental-benefit/how-apply.html. Last accessed: 16th December 2022.