Federal officials have announced that two million Canadian seniors have been approved for insurance coverage under the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) since its rollout three weeks ago.
During a Wednesday media conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland shared that since the first phase of the CDCP launched on May 1, nearly 90,000 seniors have received care from dental providers nationwide.
“I’m really happy to announce that as of this week, two million Canadian seniors have been approved to receive coverage under our new Canadian dental care plan. That’s two million seniors across Canada who are now able to get the dental care they need,” Freeland said.
Freeland also mentioned that, in addition to the millions of seniors now signed up for insured dental care, nearly 10,000 oral health providers, including dentists, dental specialists, independent dental hygienists, and denturists, offer these services under the insurance provided by Sun Life.
Health Minister Mark Holland noted in a release that by next year, nine million uninsured Canadians will have their dental care covered.
The CDCP was established through the Liberals’ supply-and-confidence deal with the NDP in 2022 and provides dental care benefits directly to uninsured Canadian residents with household incomes under $90,000.
Seniors aged 65 and over without dental insurance and with a family net income of less than $90,000 can apply for the CDCP online or in person at Service Canada.
Starting in June, children under 18 and people with a valid disability tax credit certificate can apply. All other eligible Canadian residents aged 18 to 64 can apply online starting in 2025.