The Canadian Dental Care Plan is a dental insurance program funded by the Government of Canada to provide dentistry services to uninsured Canadians that meet certain criteria.[1] It replaces a temporary dental benefit program established in 2022 for children under 12 who did not have dental insurance coverage, which was terminated in June 2024.[2]
In the 2022 federal budget, the impending program was estimated to cost $1.7 billion annually.[2] The 2023 Canadian federal budget allocated $23 million over two years to collect oral health data for use of the program,[2] $13 billion for Health Canada to implement the program over five years, and $4.4 billion annually thereafter for program costs.[3][2]
The program began its staggered enrolment rollout in December 2023 with mailings to individuals at least 87 years old.[1]