Public Service Dental Care Plan summary

Improvements and changes to the Public Service Dental Care Plan
Learn about the updates effective January 1, 2025

On this page:

• Eligibility
• Enrolment and effective date
• Annual and lifetime maximums and deductible
• Eligible expenses
• Employee contributions
• Reasonable and customary charges
• Coordination of benefits with other plans
• Coverage ends automatically
• Related links
• Contact

The PSDCP is designed to cover specific dental services and supplies not covered under your provincial or territorial health care or dental care plan.

This summary does not contain all details or describe all limits, restrictions or exclusions. For additional information, please refer to the PSDCP Rules, PSDCP Member Booklet or contact the Public Service Pay Centre or your departmental compensation office. 

Eligibility

Automatic coverage for:

• full-time and part-time employees
  • appointed for more than 6 months (part-time employees must work more than one third of the normal work week)
  • or who have completed 6 months of continuous employment
• eligible dependants
  • spouse or common-law partner and dependant children of all the members noted above
  • CAF Regular members and some CAF Reservists (contact your departmental compensation office or unit orderly room for eligibility requirements)
  • RCMP regular and civilian members

Refer to the PSDCP Rules (definitions of terms) for a more comprehensive overview of eligibility.

Enrolment and effective date

Coverage starts

Coverage is effective after 3 months of continuous employment from the date you become eligible.

Enrolment process

No application is required to become a member of the PSDCP, however, you will need to complete positive enrolment. Positive enrolment is mandatory and must be completed and maintained separately on all benefit plans. Once you have completed positive enrolment, you will have access to your PSDCP benefit card. Claims will not be paid if you don’t complete this step.

Completing positive enrolment

You will be issued a certificate number for the PSDCP by your departmental compensation services or the Public Service Pay Centre. Your certificate number can be found in your pay system. You’ll need it to complete positive enrolment with the plan administrator, Canada Life. It’s your responsibility to keep your personal information up to date.

Positive enrolment involves providing Canada Life with information about yourself, your spouse or common-law partner, and each eligible dependant child, including:

• full name
• addresses
• age
• banking information (for direct deposit)

You will also be asked whether you or any of your dependants have coverage under another group health or dental plan. You may be eligible to coordinate benefits between plans.

Annual and lifetime maximums and deductible

Annual maximum

Combined preventive, basic and major restorative treatments:

• $3,000 per year January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026
• $3,250 per year starting January 1, 2027

If your coverage starts in the second half of the calendar year (on or after July 1), the maximum amount reimbursed for that year will be 50% of the annual maximum.

Orthodontics lifetime maximum

• $3,000 per lifetime from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026
• $3,250 per lifetime starting January 1, 2027

Deductible

The annual deductible for the PSDCP is $25 per single member or $50 per family per calendar year.

Eligible expenses

The PSDCP Rules explain some additional limitations to eligible expenses.

Preventive dental services

Reimbursed at 90% after deductible

• Oral examinations
  • some frequency limitations apply
• X-rays
  • some frequency limitations apply
• Dental cleaning, polishing and fluoride application
  • limited to once every 9 months or once every 6 months for children
  • temporary removal of frequency limitation for those who will be or are undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer if Canada Life is notified
• Oral hygiene instruction
  • limited to once per calendar year for children and once per lifetime for any other person
• Pit and fissure sealants

The PSDCP Rules include other preventative services eligible for coverage.

Basic dental services

Reimbursed at 90% after deductible

• Fillings
  • replacement fillings for the same tooth and surface once every 24 months or
  • once every 12 months for children
• Root canal and other endodontic services
• Scaling and root planing
  • 6 units every calendar year
  • up to 6 additional time units if pre-approved by Canada Life
  • temporary removal of frequency limitation for those who will be or are undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer if Canada Life is notified
• Denture services
  • repair or adjustment of dentures
  • rebasing and relining of removable dentures (once every 36 months)
• Oral surgery and related anaesthesia

Major dental services

Reimbursed at 65% after deductible

• Crowns
  • replacement limitations apply
• Inlays and onlays
  • replacement limitations apply
• Complete dentures
  • replacement limitations apply
• Implants or bridges
  • replacement limitations apply

Orthodontic services

• Reimbursed at 50% after deductible
  • treatment of misaligned or crooked teeth
  • fixed or removable appliances
• Reimbursed at 90% after deductible
  • examinations, x-rays and diagnostic casts

Employee contributions

100% employer-paid

Provisions for contributions while on leave without pay

• You must inform your departmental compensation services or the Public Service Pay Centre if you wish to retain PSDCP coverage when going on leave without pay, otherwise your coverage will be suspended while on leave.
• If you choose to retain PSDCP coverage while on LWOP, you may repay any owed contributions upon your return to work.

Reasonable and customary charges

Your claims are reimbursed based on the previous year’s dental fee guide for the province or territory where the services are rendered.

The PSDCP Rules include further provisions for dental services received outside Canada.

Coordination of benefits with other plans

If you and your dependant are covered under more than one group dental plan, you may coordinate benefits to receive up to 100% of the actual eligible expenses.

Coordination of benefits between Public Service Dental Care Plan (PSDCP) members is allowed.

Coverage ends automatically

Your coverage ends automatically when a member and/or dependant ceases to be eligible.

When you retire, you may be eligible for optional pensioner dental coverage under the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan.