What services are covered
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Services covered
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) will help cover a wide range of oral health care services that:
- keep your teeth and gums healthy
- prevent and treat oral health care issues and diseases
Examples of services that could be covered under the CDCP when recommended by an oral health provider, include:
- preventive services, including scaling (cleaning), sealants and fluoride
- diagnostic services, including examinations and x-rays
- restorative services, including fillings
- endodontic services, including root canal treatments
- prosthodontic services, including:
- complete dentures, and
- partial removable dentures
- periodontal services, including deep scaling
- oral surgery services, including extractions
Note: Some oral health care services will require preauthorization. Preauthorization is a process where prior approval is required, based on the recommendation of the oral health provider, before the treatment is provided, to confirm it will be covered under the plan. These treatments and/or services take into consideration an individual’s oral health history and medical conditions. Services requiring preauthorization will become available in November 2024.
The CDCP will only pay for oral health care services covered within the plan at the established CDCP fees. These fees are not the same as the provincial and territorial oral health associations suggested fee guides that providers often use to charge for oral health services. People covered under the CDCP may have to pay any additional charges directly to the oral health provider.
Diagnostic and preventive services
Intended to evaluate your oral health status, to keep your teeth, gums and mouth healthy and to prevent cavities and gum disease. Services covered include:
- a range of dental exams, including complete, routine, specific and emergency exams
- x-rays
- cleaning (scaling)
- fluoride applications
- sealants
Basic services
Restorative services
Intended to treat decayed or fractured teeth. Services covered include:
- permanent fillings
- temporary fillings
- pain control for diseased teeth
- other treatments for cavities
Endodontic services
Intended to treat teeth that are severely decayed, infected or broken. Services covered include:
- root canal treatments
- pulpectomies (first step of a root canal treatment)
- procedures to reduce infection and provide temporary pain relief
- retreatment of previously completed root canal treatment (requires preauthorization)
Periodontal services
Intended to treat areas around the teeth, including gums and bone supporting the teeth. Services covered include:
- cleaning under the gumline
- treatment of abscesses
- bonding for mobile teeth (requires preauthorization)
- post-surgical evaluations (requires preauthorization)
- non-surgical gum disease management
Major services
Restorative services
Intended to restore teeth with a more extensive procedure when teeth are too damaged to be restored by basic fillings.
- posts and post removal
- repairs to crowns and rebonding of crowns and posts
- crowns (requires preauthorization)
- cores (to support crowns) (requires preauthorization)
- posts for crown (requires preauthorization)
Removable prosthodontic services
Intended to replace missing teeth. Services covered include:
- complete dentures, including standard and temporary dentures
- denture repairs, relines and rebases
- placing lining in dentures to condition oral tissues (for comfort and healing)
- complete immediate and overdentures (requires preauthorization)
- initial placement of partial dentures (requires preauthorization)
- replacement of partial dentures
Oral surgery
Intended to remove teeth or tumours or fix other problems in the mouth and jaw requiring surgical intervention. Services covered include:
- removal of teeth and roots
- surgical removal of tumours and cysts
- surgical incisions, including draining
- treatments for jaw bone fractures
Anesthesia/Sedation services
Additional services are provided in support of another services. Services covered include:
- minimal sedation (conscious)
- moderate sedation (requires preauthorization)
- deep sedation (requires preauthorization)
- general anaesthesia (requires preauthorization)
Orthodontic Services
Some orthodontic services will be added to the CDCP starting in 2025. Orthodontic services will only be covered in cases of medical need based on stringent criteria and will include a maximum spending limit.
For more information on services covered, consult the CDCP Dental Benefits Guide.
How much will be covered
The CDCP will reimburse a percentage of the cost, based on established CDCP fees and your adjusted family net income. You may have to pay additional charges directly to the oral health provider, if:
- your adjusted family net income is between $70,000 and $89,999
- the cost of your oral health care services are more than the established CDCP fees, or
- you and your oral health care provider agree to services that the CDCP doesn’t cover
Co-payments
You may have a co-payment based on your adjusted family net income. A co-payment is the percentage of the CDCP fees that isn’t covered by the CDCP, and that you will have to pay directly to the oral health provider. Your co-payment is based on your adjusted family net income.
| Adjusted family net income | How much will the CDCP cover | How much you will cover |
|---|---|---|
| Lower than $70,000 | 100% of eligible oral health care service costs will be covered at the CDCP established fees. | 0% of the CDCP established fees. You may face additional charges as described below. |
| Between $70,000 and $79,999 | 60% of eligible oral health care service costs will be covered at the CDCP established fees. | 40% of the CDCP established fees. You may face additional fees as described below. |
| Between $80,000 and $89,999 | 40% of eligible oral health care service costs will be covered at the CDCP established fees. | 60% of the CDCP established fees. You may face additional fees as described below. |
Additional charges
The CDCP fees may not be the same as what providers charge. You may have to pay fees in addition to the potential co-payment if:
- the cost of your oral health care services are more than what the CDCP will reimburse based on the established CDCP fees
- you agree to receive care that the plan doesn’t cover
Before receiving oral health care, you should always ask your oral health provider about any costs that won’t be covered by the plan. Make sure you know what you’ll have to pay directly to your oral health provider ahead of receiving treatment.
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