April is Oral Health Month in Canada.

Oral health affects your overall health and wellness. The Government of Canada has been working to reduce the costs of dental care for Canadian residents through the Canada Dental Care Plan (CDCP).

To be eligible for the CDCP, individuals need to:

• Be a Canadian resident for tax purposes.
• Have filed their taxes for the previous year;
• Have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000 per year; and,
• Not have access to private or employer/pension sponsored dental coverage.

The government has been rolling out which groups are eligible. This currently includes those over 65, under 18 or with a valid Disability Tax Credit (DTC). This program will open to all ages later in 2025. For those currently enrolled in CDCP, they are required to renew their application annually.

Renewals for Existing CDCP Clients

Starting in March 2025, the Government of Canada will begin its annual reassessment of the eligibility of individuals currently covered under the plan to confirm that they continue to meet all eligibility requirements. Canadians already covered under the CDCP will be required to renew their application for the next benefit year by submitting a renewal application.

Current clients who have filed their 2024 tax return and received their Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency will be able to renew their CDCP dental coverage through one of the following channels:

• My Service Canada Account (MSCA) Interactive Response System (not available for applications with dependent(s))
• By phone, with a call centre officer In Person

Applications for renewals must be submitted by June 1, 2025.

If a client fails to submit their application to renew or no longer meets the eligibility requirements, their coverage will end on June 30, 2025.