The Canadian Dental Care Plan, Explained
A quick, plain-language guide to what the CDCP is, who generally qualifies, and how to find CDCP-accepting clinics on Toothie.
What is the CDCP?
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is a federal program from Health Canada, delivered together with Sun Life, that helps cover dental care costs for eligible Canadian residents who don't already have dental insurance. Coverage is based on your adjusted family net income, rather than on your employer or province alone.
The goal is to make routine dental care - checkups, cleanings, fillings, and more - more affordable for people who would otherwise have to pay for it entirely out of pocket.
Who's generally eligible?
In broad strokes, the CDCP is aimed at people who:
You file taxes as a resident of Canada.
You don't have access to dental insurance through an employer, a pension plan, or a private plan.
Your adjusted family net income is under the threshold the federal government sets for the CDCP.
You (and your spouse or common-law partner, if you have one) filed a tax return for the previous year.
Always confirm your current eligibility
Income thresholds, coverage levels, and program details are set by the federal government and can change. Before booking, confirm your current eligibility and coverage on the official Government of Canada CDCP website, or ask your clinic to verify your coverage directly.
How CDCP works with Toothie
When you search for a dentist on Toothie, clinics that participate in the CDCP show a "CDCP Accepted" badge on their search result and clinic profile, right alongside their rating and accepted insurance. You can see this in action on our CDCP-accepting dentists in Toronto page - we list similar pages for other cities Toothie serves, or you can just start a search and filter for CDCP directly.
CDCP also counts as qualifying coverage for Toothie's new-patient reward: unlike most other government-funded plans, having CDCP does not disqualify you from earning gift cards through Toothie. See How the $200 Reward Works for the full breakdown.
Find a CDCP-accepting clinic
Search partner clinics near you and filter for CDCP acceptance.
Start Your SearchCurious how we review clinics before they join?
See exactly what happens before a clinic joins Toothie.
How Toothie Verifies ClinicsRun a clinic that accepts CDCP patients? Partner with Toothie to reach new patients in your area.