What Does the Canadian Dental Care Plan Cover in Oakville, Ontario? A Patient’s Guide

Your CDCP card arrived, you have been approved and now you are sitting there wondering what it actually pays for at your next appointment. You are not alone. The Canadian Dental Care Plan covers a broad range of preventive and restorative dental services for eligible Ontario residents, including exams, cleanings, fillings, root canals, extractions, dentures and some major procedures like crowns. Coverage is not free for everyone. The amount the plan pays depends directly on your household income and a few common treatments — dental implants, teeth whitening and Invisalign for non-medical reasons — are not included.

What Does the Canadian Dental Care Plan Cover in Ontario?

Quick Answer is: The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) covers preventive care, fillings, root canals, extractions, dentures and crowns for eligible Ontarians with no private dental insurance and a family income under $90,000. Eligible patients with a family income under $70,000 pay nothing; it is free dental care for them. At Smile Design Dental Care in Oakville, Ontario, we accept CDCP and can confirm your coverage before your appointment so there are no surprises.

The Canadian Dental Care Plan is a federal government program, administered by Sun Life, that helps make dental care more affordable for Canadians who do not have private dental insurance and whose adjusted family net income falls below $90,000. Launched in December 2023 and now fully open to all eligible Canadians, the CDCP had approved more than 6.5 million applicants nationally as of April 2026, with Ontario leading all provinces at 2,714,032 approved residents, according to Government of Canada data.

Who Qualifies for the CDCP in Ontario?

Before getting into what the plan covers, it helps to know whether you are actually eligible. The CDCP has four requirements and you need to meet all of them:

• You are a Canadian resident for tax purposes.
• You filed your most recent federal income tax return.
• Your adjusted family net income is under $90,000 (based on your most recent Notice of Assessment).
• You do not have access to private dental insurance through an employer, a spouse’s employer, a pension plan or a private plan you purchased yourself.

That last point matters. If your spouse has a workplace dental plan and you could be added to it, you may not be eligible for the CDCP, even if you are not currently on the plan.

There is no age restriction as of 2026. The program was initially rolled out to seniors first. Canadians 65 and older were the first cohort, followed by children under 18 and then adults with a disability tax credit. It is now open to all eligible Canadians. Seniors remain among the highest utilizers of the plan and continue to access the same full coverage tiers as all other eligible adults.

How Much Does the CDCP Actually Pay? The Co-Payment Breakdown

This is the part most patients do not understand until they are at the front desk. The CDCP is not free dental care for everyone, but it is free for eligible patients with a household income under $70,000. How much the federal government covers depends on your income tier.

Adjusted Family Net Income	CDCP Pays	You Pay (Co-payment)
Under $70,000	100% of eligible fees	$0 — free dental care
$70,000 to $79,999	60% of eligible fees	40% co-payment
$80,000 to $89,999	40% of eligible fees	60% co-payment
$90,000 or above	Not eligible	Full cost

Two things to know about this table. First, the CDCP pays based on its own established fee guide, not the Ontario Dental Association fee guide. Your clinic’s actual fees may be slightly higher than what the CDCP reimburses, which means even patients in the 100% tier may have a small balance owing on some services.

Second, your income tier is based on your adjusted family net income from the previous year’s tax return. If your household income changed in 2025, your 2026 coverage tier may be different from last year.

So if you live in River Oaks or along the Lakeshore Road corridor and your income was in the low-to-mid range in 2025, you may actually qualify for the full 100% coverage this year without knowing it.

What Services Does the CDCP Cover?

Here is a clear breakdown of what is included. The plan covers a wide range of essential services, though some require preauthorization from Sun Life before treatment begins.

Covered Without Preauthorization

• Dental exams (routine, specific and emergency exams)
• X-rays (bitewing, periapical, full-mouth series)
• Cleanings (scaling and root planing)
• Fluoride treatments
• Dental sealants (for cavity prevention)
• Permanent and temporary fillings
• Pain control for diseased teeth
• Root canal treatments (single and multi-visit)
• Tooth extractions, including simple and surgical
• Denture repairs

Covered With Preauthorization

Some major procedures need prior approval from Sun Life before your dentist can proceed. These include:

• Crowns (when the tooth cannot be restored with a filling)
• Partial and complete dentures (initial placement)
• Re-treatment of previously completed root canals
• Bone bonding for mobile teeth (severe gum disease cases)
• Higher-level sedation

Preauthorization does not mean denial. It means your dentist submits clinical documentation and Sun Life reviews whether the treatment is clinically appropriate before it goes ahead. At our Oakville clinic, we handle this submission on your behalf.

Does the CDCP Cover Root Canals?

Yes, root canal treatments are covered under the CDCP for eligible patients. Simple root canals on single-rooted teeth are covered without preauthorization. Root canals on multi-rooted teeth and retreatment of previously completed root canals require preauthorization.

We hear this question often at our Oakville clinic, usually from patients who have been avoiding a tooth that needs attention because they were not sure their coverage would apply. If the tooth is infected and a root canal is clinically recommended, the CDCP is likely to cover it.

Does the CDCP Cover Crowns?

Yes, crowns are covered under the CDCP when the tooth cannot be adequately restored with a filling. This is an important distinction: coverage is tied to clinical necessity, not patient preference. A tooth that has been weakened by a large cavity or a root canal often genuinely needs a crown and in those cases the CDCP applies.

Crown coverage requires preauthorization from Sun Life before the procedure. Your dentist submits documentation explaining why a filling is no longer sufficient and Sun Life reviews the case before approving the claim. At our Oakville location, we manage that submission for you.

Crowns placed for appearance reasons only. For example, to improve the look of a tooth that is structurally intact; are not covered by the CDCP.

Does the CDCP Cover Dentures?

Yes. Complete and partial dentures are covered under the CDCP, though initial placement of partial dentures requires preauthorization. Denture repairs and relining are generally covered without preauthorization.

If you have missing teeth and have been managing without them because of cost, this is one area where CDCP coverage can make a real difference. Patients at our Oakville Denture Centre location can ask about CDCP eligibility during their consultation.

What Does the CDCP NOT Cover?

This is where patients are most often caught off guard. The following are excluded from CDCP coverage under the 2026 benefit guide:

• Teeth whitening and bleaching
• Dental implants (in most situations — some medically necessary cases may be reviewed by Sun Life)
• Invisalign and braces for adults without a documented medical necessity
• Veneers and bonding for appearance reasons
• Crowns for purely appearance-related purposes
• Dental implant-supported crowns

This matters for Oakville patients who come to us for cosmetic dental work. The fact that these treatments are not covered by the CDCP does not mean they are out of reach. We offer free consultations for cosmetic dentistry and flexible payment options are available to make treatments like veneers and Invisalign more manageable without coverage.

Can Dentists Charge More Than the CDCP Fee Guide?

Yes, this surprises many patients. The CDCP pays based on its own federal fee schedule, which is separate from the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) fee guide that most Oakville clinics use to set their rates. If a clinic’s fee for a service is higher than what the CDCP schedule allows, the difference becomes a balance owing from the patient, even if they are in the 100% coverage tier.

This gap between the CDCP fee schedule and a clinic’s actual fees is sometimes called a balance bill or direct charge. The Government of Canada has indicated that CDCP-participating providers agree to limit extra charges, but some variation still occurs depending on the service and the clinic.

Here is what this means practically: a patient with a household income under $70,000 assumes they will owe nothing at their appointment. If their clinic charges $280 for a cleaning but the CDCP fee schedule allows $240 for that service, the patient may still owe the $40 difference. That gap is not a co-payment; it exists because the CDCP fee and the clinical fee do not perfectly align.

At Smile Design Dental Care in Oakville, we go over your estimated costs before treatment starts so you are not surprised at checkout. If you have questions about how our fees compare to your CDCP coverage tier, call our front desk before your appointment.

How Do I Use My CDCP Coverage at a Dental Appointment?

The process is straightforward once you are enrolled and know your provider accepts CDCP.

• Confirm your dentist is a registered CDCP provider (you can do this by calling the clinic or checking on the Sun Life CDCP provider search).
• Bring your CDCP member ID or have your Social Insurance Number ready so the clinic can verify your coverage.
• Let the clinic know you are a CDCP patient when booking
• Your clinic submits the claim directly to Sun Life – you pay only your co-payment portion, if any applies.
• For procedures requiring preauthorization, your dentist will advise you and submit the request before scheduling the treatment.

Related Article: How to Choose the Best Dental Clinic Near You for Your Family

At Smile Design Dental Care on Lakeshore Road West in Oakville, we confirm your CDCP status before your appointment and give you a clear picture of what will be covered and what, if anything, you will owe.