The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) has made significant progress in providing dental coverage to millions of Canadians. Before the CDCP, millions of Canadians lacked dental coverage, with Statistics Canada finding that people without dental insurance were almost four times as likely to avoid visiting an oral health professional due to cost.
As of September 30, 2026, more than 7.6 million Canadians have been enrolled in the CDCP since its launch. The recent Auditor General’s report concluded that the program has made dental care more affordable for millions of Canadians.
Program Enrollment and Cost
In 2025, participants in the program paid an average of $264 out of their own pockets, down from $536—the typical expense for Canadian households, according to the latest comparable data from Statistics Canada. Around 560,000 members received treatment without any personal financial burden.
The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) surveyed practising dental hygienists from across Canada in early 2026. The experience of more than 1,500 dental hygienists is compelling, with nearly 80 per cent saying participation in the CDCP had increased their practice’s patient base.
Program Impact on Patients and Providers
Dental hygienists estimated that 46 per cent of the CDCP patients they saw had not received dental hygiene care for more than 5 years, had never received such care before joining the program, or had not received care at all. 92 per cent of CDCP users said the program had improved their access to dental care, while 73 per cent said it enabled them to obtain services they previously could not access.
Recommendations for Program Improvement
CDHA believes the next phase of the program should provide greater flexibility in preventive care to meet individual patients’ needs better. Among respondents with experience seeking additional scaling or root planing units, 45.5 per cent reported that preauthorization requests were never successful.
Patients need clearer information about what the CDCP covers and what they may still have to pay. More than 82 per cent of surveyed dental hygienists reported patient concerns about limited coverage, 76 per cent encountered patients who believed care would be completely free, and nearly 67 per cent reported concerns about out-of-pocket costs.
Notably, only 6.4 per cent of CDHA survey respondents reported having to decline new CDCP patients due to workforce capacity constraints, indicating that the dental hygiene workforce is capable of handling the increased demand. As the program moves forward, it is essential to continue assessing its impact and making adjustments to ensure that it meets the needs of Canadians.
The CDCP represents one of the most significant changes to oral health care in Canada in generations. Its success should ultimately be measured not simply by how many Canadians enrol, but by whether more people receive preventive care, experience less oral disease, and enjoy better health. The evidence so far is encouraging. Many Canadians are getting care they previously could not afford or access.
The task now is to build on that success and clearly assess whether CDCP patients show a marked improvement in oral health outcomes. Keep the access. Strengthen the prevention. Simplify the program. And make sure every dollar invested moves Canadians closer to better oral and overall health. Wendy Wells, RDH, CDIPC, President, Canadian Dental Hygienists Association. The views expressed are those of the author(s). Canada Healthwatch publishes a range of perspectives and does not necessarily endorse the opinions presented.
