October 31, 2024 | Scarborough, Ontario | Government of Canada
As of today, more than 1 million Canadians have received care under the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) and more than 2.7 million Canadians have been approved to be part of the plan.
The CDCP is saving Canadians on average more than $730 through a wide range of oral health care services, from cleanings to life-saving screenings for diseases like oral cancer.
Starting November 1, the CDCP will expand to include more services so even more Canadians across the country are able to receive the care that they need. The CDCP will begin accepting requests for services that require preauthorization. This will mean that it will be possible for patients to receive services such as the initial placement of partial dentures, or crowns, as well as requests for services when a CDCP patient has a particularly high need or complex condition. Each request will be assessed thoroughly on a case-by-case basis to see if the course of treatment recommended by the oral health practitioner meets the clinical criteria for coverage under the CDCP.
The CDCP will also begin accepting paper claim submissions for services covered under the CDCP. While most providers have been able to submit claims electronically since May 2024, providers who only work with paper claims will now also submit claims for their services. This is an important step to provide greater access to care for more Canadians.
More than 22,340 oral health providers nationwide, or 89% of active oral health providers in the country, oral health providers nationwide are providing care to Canadians covered under the plan and have been crucial to the success of the CDCP in improving access to oral health care in Canada.
Thanks to consultations and established working groups, Health Canada has worked continuously with oral health providers to make the preauthorization process as seamless as possible for providers and their staff. Health Canada remains committed to working with providers across the country so these processes are implemented smoothly.
