What Does the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) Cover?

The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) covers most of the everyday dental care people need: checkups, X-rays, cleanings, fillings, root canals, gum treatment, crowns, dentures and tooth removal. Some of these services need approval from the plan before treatment, and a few, such as orthodontics, are not available. Depending on your family income and your provider’s fees, you may also pay part of the cost.

The plan is still fairly new, and many patients are unsure what it will and will not pay for. This guide sets out the covered service categories, the services that need preauthorization, what is not included, and how co-payments work. Plan details change from time to time. The information below comes from the Government of Canada CDCP pages as they read in August 2026, so check the current pages or ask our team before you plan treatment.

What does the CDCP cover?

The Government of Canada groups covered services into eight categories. All of them apply only when an oral health provider recommends the care.

Category	Examples of covered services	Preauthorization needed for
Diagnostic and preventive	Exams (complete, routine, specific and emergency), X-rays, cleaning (scaling), fluoride, sealants	Services beyond frequency limits
Basic restorative	Permanent and temporary fillings, pain control for diseased teeth, other cavity treatment	Services beyond frequency limits
Basic endodontic	Root canal treatment, pulpectomies, procedures to reduce infection and relieve pain	Re-treatment of a previous root canal
Basic periodontal	Cleaning under the gumline, treating abscesses, non-surgical gum disease management	Bonding for mobile teeth, post-surgical evaluations
Major restorative	Posts, crown repairs and re-bonding, crowns, cores and posts for crowns	Crowns, cores and posts for crowns
Removable prosthodontics	Complete dentures (standard and temporary), denture repairs, relines and rebases	Partial dentures, immediate complete dentures, overdentures
Oral surgery	Tooth and root removal, removal of tumours and cysts, drainage, treatment of broken jaw bones	—
Anaesthesia and sedation	Nitrous oxide, oral sedation	Conscious sedation, deep sedation, general anaesthesia

The categories tell you what kind of care is included. They do not tell you how often a service is covered. For that, the government refers members to the CDCP Dental Benefits Guide and the benefit grids on the Sun Life website.

Preventive and diagnostic care

This is the foundation of the plan. Exams, X-rays, cleanings, fluoride and sealants are all covered within frequency limits. Regular checkups catch problems such as decay and early gum disease while treatment is still simple, so this is the part of the plan most members use first. Our article on what a routine dental cleaning includes explains what happens at that visit.

Fillings, root canals and gum treatment

Basic services cover the most common treatments for problems found at a checkup:

• Fillings for cavities, plus temporary fillings and emergency pain control
• Root canal treatment for a tooth with an infected or inflamed nerve
• Gum treatment, including cleaning below the gumline and non-surgical management of gum disease

If you are unsure which one you might need, do you need a root canal or a dental filling? explains the difference.

Crowns

Crowns are covered as a major restorative service, but they need preauthorization. A crown is often recommended after a root canal on a back tooth, or when a tooth is too broken down to hold a large filling. Because approval comes first, crown treatment under the CDCP is usually planned at one visit and completed after the plan responds. Read more in why a crown is often recommended after root canal treatment.

Dentures

Complete dentures, including standard and temporary dentures, are covered, along with repairs, relines and rebases. Partial dentures, immediate dentures and overdentures need preauthorization. If you are weighing your options, complete dentures vs partial dentures compares the two.

Extractions and oral surgery

Tooth and root removal are listed under oral surgery. So are the removal of cysts and tumours, drainage of infections and treatment of broken jaw bones. Nitrous oxide and oral sedation are covered, while deeper sedation and general anaesthesia need preauthorization. If you are having a tooth removed, our guides to tooth extraction aftercare and dry socket explain what to expect during healing.

Which CDCP services need preauthorization?

Preauthorization means the plan must approve a service before you receive it. Your dental office submits the request with the clinical details, and treatment goes ahead once approval comes back. The Government of Canada notes that not all requests are approved.

As of August 2026, these services require preauthorization:

• re-treatment of a previous root canal
• bonding for mobile teeth
• post-surgical evaluations
• crowns, cores and posts for crowns
• immediate complete dentures and overdentures
• partial dentures
• conscious sedation (inhalation or combined technique)
• deep sedation and general anaesthesia
• any service beyond its established frequency limit

In practice, this adds a step and some waiting time. If your dentist recommends one of these services, ask how long the approval usually takes and whether anything should be done in the meantime to keep the tooth comfortable.

What does the CDCP not cover?

The coverage page does not publish a full list of exclusions, but several common treatments are either stated as unavailable or not listed among covered services:

• Orthodontics. The government states that orthodontic services are currently not available. That includes braces and clear aligners.
• Dental implants. Implants are not listed among covered services. Removable dentures are covered. Our guide to dental implant cost in Cornwall and Ontario explains how implant fees, private insurance and tax credits work.
• Cosmetic treatment. Teeth whitening, porcelain veneers and cosmetic bonding are not listed.

If you and your dentist agree to a service the plan does not cover, you pay for that service directly. A good dental office will tell you which parts of a treatment plan the CDCP covers before you start.

How much will you pay with the CDCP?

There are two possible costs: a co-payment based on income, and charges above the CDCP fee.

Co-payments based on adjusted family net income

Adjusted family net income	CDCP pays (at CDCP fees)	Your co-payment
Less than $70,000	100% of eligible costs	0%
$70,000 to $79,999	60%	40%
$80,000 to $89,999	40%	60%

Adjusted family net income is your family’s net income from your tax returns, with a few adjustments for Universal Child Care Benefit and RDSP amounts. The income limit for the plan is $90,000.

Charges above the CDCP fee

The CDCP reimburses each service at its own fee. The government notes that CDCP fees may differ from what a provider charges. If your provider’s fee is higher, you may pay the difference, even if your co-payment is 0%. You may also pay for services the plan does not cover.

The government’s advice is to ask your provider about any costs not covered by the plan before you receive care. At York Street Dental Centre, we explain what the plan covers and any amount you would pay before treatment begins.

You should not pay the full cost upfront

Only oral health providers are reimbursed by the CDCP. If you are covered, you should not have to pay the full cost of covered care and claim it back yourself. The office bills the plan directly, and you pay only your co-payment and any extra charges.

Who qualifies for the CDCP?

The Government of Canada lists these eligibility requirements:

• Your adjusted family net income is less than $90,000.
• You do not have access to dental insurance through an employer, pension, professional or student organization, or a plan you or a family member bought.
• You, and your spouse or common-law partner if you have one, filed a tax return in Canada for the previous year.
• You are a resident of Canada for tax purposes.

Having coverage through a provincial, territorial or federal social program does not by itself rule you out. The plans may coordinate coverage.

Access to private insurance

This is the requirement that causes the most confusion. The government says you have access to dental insurance even if you never use it, pay a premium for it, or it covers only part of your costs. If you were offered a plan through work and turned it down, you are generally not eligible. There is a limited exception for some retirees who opted out of pension dental coverage before December 11, 2023 and cannot opt back in.

How to apply and renew

You can apply through My Service Canada Account, online through Canada.ca, or by calling Service Canada at 1-833-537-4342. Your spouse or common-law partner must submit their own application.

Coverage runs for a benefit period that ends on June 30, and members must renew each year. Care received during a gap in coverage is not reimbursed. If you have treatment planned over several visits, check your renewal date before you start.

Is this specific treatment covered for you?

The categories above are a guide, not a guarantee. Whether one treatment is covered for you depends on:

• whether your provider recommends it for a clinical reason
• the frequency limit for that service, and when you last had it
• whether preauthorization is needed and approved
• your co-payment level
• the difference between your provider’s fee and the CDCP fee

The most reliable way to know is to ask your dental office for a treatment estimate that separates the CDCP portion from anything you would pay. You can also review the Sun Life benefit grids or call Sun Life’s CDCP line at 1-888-888-8110.

Questions to ask before CDCP treatment

1. Is this treatment covered by the CDCP?
2. Does it need preauthorization, and how long does that usually take?
3. Is there a co-payment for my income level?
4. Is your fee for this service higher than the CDCP fee?
5. Are any parts of the plan not covered, and what would they cost?
6. Is there another covered option, and how does it compare?

Before your first visit, our checklist on what to bring to a CDCP dental appointment helps you prepare.

Common misunderstandings about CDCP coverage

• “Everything is free.” Many members pay nothing for covered care, but co-payments, fees above the CDCP fee and uncovered services can apply.
• “If I need a crown, it can be done at the same visit.” Crowns need preauthorization, so they are usually a separate appointment.
• “The CDCP covers braces.” Orthodontic services are currently not available.
• “I can keep my work plan and use the CDCP too.” Access to private dental insurance makes you ineligible, even if you do not use it.
• “Renewal is automatic.” Members must renew each year, and care during a coverage gap is not reimbursed.

Using your CDCP coverage in Cornwall

York Street Dental Centre, at 118 York Street in Cornwall, welcomes eligible CDCP patients of all ages and bills the plan directly. When we recommend treatment, we explain what we found, the options, what the CDCP covers and any amount you would pay, before anything is done. If a service needs preauthorization, our team submits the request and lets you know when it comes back.

Many of our CDCP patients are seniors and families from across Cornwall, including downtown, Riverdale, Eamer’s Corners and Churchill Heights. Others come from Lakeview Heights, St. Andrews West, Glen Walter and Cornwall Island (Akwesasne). We are accepting new patients, and no referral is needed.

Book a CDCP appointment

Call York Street Dental Centre at (613) 932-1620 or request an appointment online. Have your CDCP member ID and coverage start date ready. You can find more about how the plan works at our office on our Canadian Dental Care Plan page.