Two million Canadian seniors have been approved to receive insurance coverage under the Canadian Dental Care Plan since the program rolled out three weeks ago, according to federal officials.
Speaking at a Wednesday media conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland also said since the first phase of Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) launched on May 1, nearly 90,000 seniors have received care from dental care providers across the country.
“I’m really happy to announce that as of this week, two million Canadian seniors have been approved to receive coverage under our new Canadian dental care plan. That’s two million seniors across Canada who are now able to get the dental care they need,” Freeland said during the media conference.
On top of the millions of seniors who are now signed up to receive insured dental care, Freeland said there are also close to 10,000 oral health providers who offer these services to patients under the insurance, provided by Sun Life.
“This includes dentists and dental specialists, independent dental hygienists and denturists,” Freeland said.
In a release, Health Minister Mark Holland said by next year, nine million uninsured Canadians will have their dental care covered.
The CDCP plan was born out of the Liberals’ supply-and-confidence deal with the NDP in 2022, and it offers dental care benefits directly to Canadian residents who are uninsured with a household income under $90,000.
Seniors aged 65 and over who do not have access to dental insurance and have a family net income of less than $90,000 can apply for the CDCP online or in person at Service Canada.
Starting in June, children under the age of 18 and people with a valid disability tax credit certificate can apply.
All remaining eligible Canadian residents between the ages of 18 and 64 can apply online starting in 2025.