How to Apply for the Canadian Dental Care Plan: Step-by-Step Guide

The Canadian Dental Care Plan helps reduce the cost of eligible dental services for Canadian residents who do not have access to private dental insurance and whose adjusted family net income is below $90,000.

Applications are currently open for the 2026–2027 benefit period. Eligible individuals can apply through My Service Canada Account, the Government of Canada application website or by telephone.

What Is the Canadian Dental Care Plan?

The Canadian Dental Care Plan, commonly abbreviated as CDCP, is a federal program designed to make oral health care more affordable for eligible Canadian residents.

The plan may help cover part of the cost of services provided by dentists, dental specialists, independent dental hygienists, denturists and participating educational institutions.

The CDCP is not a cash benefit paid directly to applicants. Eligible oral health providers submit claims directly to Sun Life, which administers dental claims under the plan.

Depending on your adjusted family net income, the CDCP may cover between 40% and 100% of its established fees for eligible services. You may still have to pay a co-payment or additional charges.

Are Canadian Dental Care Plan Applications Open?

Yes. Applications are open for the 2026–2027 benefit period, which runs from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.

Eligible Canadian residents of all age groups can now apply. The age-based application stages used during the original rollout of the program are no longer necessary.

If you had CDCP coverage for the previous benefit period but did not renew it before the renewal deadline, you can submit a new application. However, you may experience a gap in coverage.

Who Can Apply for the Canadian Dental Care Plan?

You must meet all four principal eligibility requirements when applying.

• You must not have access to private dental insurance or coverage.
• You and your spouse or common-law partner, if applicable, must have filed the required Canadian income tax returns.
• Your adjusted family net income must be below $90,000.
• You must be a Canadian resident for income tax purposes.

Meeting one or two of these conditions is not enough. All four requirements must normally be satisfied for you to enrol.

What Does “No Access to Dental Insurance” Mean?

The private dental coverage rule is one of the most important parts of CDCP eligibility.

You are generally considered to have access to dental insurance if coverage is available through:

• Your employer or a family member’s employer.
• Your pension plan or a family member’s pension plan.
• A professional organization.
• A student organization.
• A health spending or wellness account that covers dental expenses.
• A private dental plan purchased by you or a family member.
• Supplementary, enhanced or top-up dental insurance.

You may be considered to have access even if you declined the coverage, have never used it, must pay a premium or believe the available plan does not provide enough coverage.

An exception may apply if you are retired, opted out of pension-related dental coverage before December 11, 2023, and are not permitted to rejoin the plan.

How to Check Dental Coverage on Your T4 or T4A

Employers and pension plan administrators use specific boxes on tax slips to indicate whether dental coverage was offered.

You should also review your spouse or common-law partner’s tax slips. Their dental plan may provide coverage to you or your dependants.

If a tax slip indicates that insurance was available, Service Canada may ask for documents proving that you no longer have access to it.

Can You Qualify With Provincial Dental Coverage?

Having dental coverage through a federal, provincial or territorial social program does not necessarily prevent you from qualifying for the CDCP.

If you meet the other requirements, the CDCP may coordinate with the applicable government program to avoid duplicate payments.

Private insurance through employment, a pension plan or an organization is treated differently from dental assistance provided through a government social program.

What Income Is Used for CDCP Eligibility?

Your eligibility and co-payment level are based on adjusted family net income rather than only your individual salary.

If you are married or have a common-law partner, the calculation generally includes income information from both people.

Your adjusted family net income starts with the family net income reported on line 23600 of the applicable tax returns. Certain Universal Child Care Benefit and Registered Disability Savings Plan amounts are then subtracted or added according to the CDCP calculation.

Even if your co-payment is 0%, you may still have to pay additional charges if your provider charges more than the CDCP established fee or recommends a service that the plan does not cover.

Do You Need to File a Tax Return Before Applying?

Yes. You and your spouse or common-law partner, if applicable, must have filed the required Canadian income tax returns for the previous year and received notices of assessment.

You should file even if you:

• Did not earn employment income.
• Do not owe income tax.
• Received social assistance.
• Receive pension income.
• Are a student.
• Were unemployed during the year.

Service Canada uses tax information to confirm your residence and adjusted family net income. An unfiled return can prevent the application from being processed.

Information You Need to Apply

Gather the following information for every person included in the application:

• Full legal name.
• Date of birth.
• Social Insurance Number, when available.
• Home address.
• Mailing address, if different.
• Information about a spouse or common-law partner.
• Details of any dental coverage received through a government social program.
• Previous-year Canadian tax return information.
• Notice of assessment information.
• Information about any access to private dental insurance.

A Social Insurance Number may not be available for every child. Follow the instructions in the application and provide the child’s full name and date of birth where permitted.

How to Apply Through My Service Canada Account

My Service Canada Account is the main online method for applying and managing CDCP information.

1. Sign in to your existing My Service Canada Account or create a new profile.
2. Open the Canadian Dental Care Plan section on the account dashboard.
3. Select “Apply for Canadian Dental Care Plan coverage.”
4. Confirm that you satisfy all four eligibility requirements.
5. Enter your personal and contact information.
6. Provide the requested spouse or common-law partner information.
7. Add eligible dependants to the application.
8. Declare any dental coverage available through a government social program.
9. Confirm that you and your partner do not have access to private dental insurance.
10. Review every answer carefully.
11. Submit the application.
12. Save the application code or confirmation information.

Once signed in, you can also use My Service Canada Account to view CDCP letters, check eligibility information and update certain personal details.

Can You Apply Without a My Service Canada Account?

Yes. If you cannot use My Service Canada Account, you can use the separate application available through Canada.ca.

The application will request similar identity, income, residence, family and insurance information.

When available, selecting digital communications allows you to receive email notifications and access correspondence faster than waiting for postal mail.

How to Apply by Phone

If you cannot apply online, call Service Canada at 1-833-537-4342. The official TTY number is 1-833-677-6262.

Before calling, gather the personal, tax, family and dental coverage information required for every applicant.

A Service Canada representative may ask questions to:

• Confirm your identity.
• Confirm your Canadian residency.
• Review your household information.
• Verify that the required tax returns were filed.
• Determine whether private dental coverage is available.
• Add eligible children or dependants.
• Record coverage through government social programs.

Do not provide your SIN or other sensitive information to a telephone number found in an unofficial advertisement or unsolicited message.

Can Someone Help You Apply?

A trusted person can help you complete a telephone application. This person could be a family member, friend, caregiver, translator or interpreter.

You must be present during the call and clearly consent to the person helping you.

A legal delegate may apply on your behalf when they have formal authority under documents such as a power of attorney, mandate or trusteeship. Service Canada must review and accept the appropriate documents before the delegate can complete the application.

How to Apply for a Child

A parent or legal guardian can include eligible children in a CDCP application.

Provide each child’s:

• Full legal name.
• Date of birth.
• Social Insurance Number, if available.
• Residential information.
• Details of any existing dental coverage.

A child cannot qualify if they have access to private dental insurance through either parent, a guardian or another family member’s plan.

A child may still potentially qualify when they receive dental support exclusively through a provincial, territorial or federal social program, subject to coordination between the programs.

What Happens After You Apply?

Service Canada reviews the application to determine whether each applicant meets the eligibility requirements.

After the application is processed, you will receive a letter or digital notification confirming whether you have been enrolled.

An approval letter normally includes:

• Your CDCP plan number.
• Your CDCP member ID.
• Your benefit coverage start date.
• Your applicable co-payment level.

Service Canada shares the information of eligible applicants with Sun Life. Sun Life then sends a welcome package containing a physical member card and information about the plan.

How to Check Your CDCP Application Status

You can check the status of your application and applications submitted for your dependants by using the official online status checker or contacting Service Canada.

You will generally need:

• Your application code or CDCP member ID.
• Your Social Insurance Number.
• The child’s full name and date of birth if the child does not have a SIN.

Your application code is provided after applying online or by phone. Your member ID can also be found on CDCP letters and the membership card.

When Does CDCP Coverage Begin?

Coverage does not begin on the day you submit the application.

Your individual start date depends on when Service Canada receives the application and completes your enrolment. The approved date will appear in your CDCP letter.

Do not receive treatment before the stated coverage date if you expect the CDCP to cover it. Dental services received before your start date are not reimbursed retroactively.

You do not necessarily have to wait for the physical Sun Life membership card. Once coverage has started, you can provide the provider with:

• Your CDCP member ID.
• A piece of identification.
• Your coverage start date.
• Your co-payment level.

How to Find a Provider That Accepts the CDCP

Before booking, ask the oral health provider whether they accept CDCP clients and will submit eligible claims directly to Sun Life.

Eligible providers may include:

• Dentists.
• Dental specialists.
• Independent dental hygienists.
• Denturists.
• Participating dental schools and oral health educational institutions.

Sun Life provides an online CDCP provider search. You can also call the Sun Life CDCP Contact Centre at 1-888-888-8110 for assistance.

Do You Pay the Dentist Upfront?

You should not normally be required to pay the complete covered treatment cost and then request reimbursement from Sun Life.

The provider submits the claim directly to Sun Life. You are responsible for paying:

• Your applicable co-payment.
• Any difference between the provider’s fee and the CDCP established fee.
• Services that are not covered by the plan.
• Charges that exceed the applicable plan limits.

The CDCP does not provide members with a standard option to submit their own claim and receive reimbursement from Sun Life.

What Dental Services May Be Covered?

Depending on the plan’s clinical rules, frequency limits and preauthorization requirements, eligible services may include:

• Dental examinations.
• Diagnostic X-rays.
• Cleaning and preventive services.
• Fluoride treatments.
• Sealants.
• Fillings.
• Root canal treatments.
• Periodontal services.
• Complete and partial dentures.
• Oral surgery.
• Certain crowns and other restorative treatments.
• Emergency dental services.

Not every treatment recommended by a provider is automatically covered. Some services require preauthorization, and plan limitations may apply.

Does the CDCP Cover the Full Dental Bill?

Not necessarily. Even applicants with adjusted family net income below $70,000 may have out-of-pocket costs.

The CDCP calculates coverage using its own established fee schedule. Your provider may charge more than the amount recognized by the plan.

Before accepting treatment, ask the provider:

• Whether the service is covered.
• Whether preauthorization is required.
• How much the CDCP is expected to pay.
• What co-payment applies.
• Whether the provider charges above CDCP fees.
• How much you will personally have to pay.

Do You Need to Renew Every Year?

Yes. CDCP coverage is not automatically permanent.

Members must renew annually and confirm that they continue to meet the requirements, including having no access to private dental insurance.

The current benefit period ends on June 30, 2027. Renewal information for the following period is expected to become available in spring 2027.

Missing the renewal deadline can cause a gap in coverage. Dental care received during that gap will not normally be covered retroactively.

Changes You Must Report

Keep your CDCP information accurate throughout the benefit period.

Update Service Canada if:

• You obtain access to private dental insurance.
• Your employer or pension plan begins offering dental coverage.
• You become eligible under a family member’s private plan.
• Your mailing or residential address changes.
• Your telephone or communication information changes.
• Your family situation changes.
• Information submitted in the original application was incorrect.

Certain information can be updated through the Canadian Dental Care Plan section of My Service Canada Account.

Common CDCP Application Mistakes

• Applying before filing the required tax return.
• Forgetting that a spouse or common-law partner must also file.
• Declaring no insurance after declining an available employer plan.
• Ignoring dental coverage available through a spouse’s employment.
• Confusing provincial social dental assistance with private insurance.
• Entering incorrect personal or family information.
• Leaving dependants out of the application.
• Losing the application confirmation code.
• Booking treatment before the coverage start date.
• Assuming the CDCP will cover the provider’s complete fee.
• Paying the entire bill upfront without confirming the claim process.
• Missing the annual renewal period.

Can Service Canada Review Your Eligibility?

Yes. CDCP eligibility can be reviewed during a benefit period.

Service Canada and Health Canada may compare the information in your application with tax records, including the dental coverage codes reported on T4 and T4A slips.

If selected for review, you may be asked to provide a letter or other documentation from an employer or pension plan confirming that you do not have access to dental insurance.

If you do not respond by the deadline, your coverage may end. If you received services while ineligible, you may be required to repay amounts paid under the plan.

How to Avoid Canadian Dental Care Plan Scams

There is no fee to apply for or renew the CDCP.

Be cautious of websites, advertisements, telephone calls, text messages or emails requesting:

• An application fee.
• Credit card information.
• Online banking credentials.
• Your Social Insurance Number through an unofficial form.
• Payment to accelerate the application.

Use Canada.ca, My Service Canada Account and official Service Canada telephone numbers when applying or checking your status.

Related Government Benefit Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

Northbly is an independent informational website and is not affiliated with the Government of Canada, Service Canada, Health Canada or Sun Life. Canadian Dental Care Plan eligibility, benefit periods, application procedures, covered services and co-payment levels may change. Always confirm important information through official government sources before applying or receiving treatment.