Question Period Note: CANADIAN DENTAL CARE PLAN – SERVICE CANADA SERVICE DELIVERY

How is Service Canada managing the application and renewal process for the Canadian Dental Care Plan?The Canadian Dental Care Plan is led by Health Canada and aims to reduce cost barriers to oral health care to the greatest extent possible, with a focus on diagnostic, preventative, and restorative services.

On behalf of Health Canada, Service Canada receives, processes and manages applications for eligibility. To qualify for the Canadian Dental Care Plan an applicant must be a Canadian resident for tax purposes, have filed a tax return in the preceding year, must not have access to private dental insurance or coverage, and must have an Adjusted Family Net Income of less than $90K annually. The Canada Revenue Agency is responsible for calculating the Adjusted Family Net Income.

Through its Community Outreach and Liaison Service, Service Canada promotes the Canadian Dental Care Plan and assists vulnerable populations in applying for the plan.

As of January 4, 2026, the department conducted over 36,500 liaison services with community organizations, and facilitated over 7,200 outreach events, reaching approximately 158,900 participants to raise awareness of and assist with the Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Canadians can apply for dental care online, by phone, at a Service Canada Centre, scheduled outreach site, or at a community outreach event.

As of January 13, 2026, nearly 6 million (5,882,618) Canadians have been enrolled for 2025-2026 alone, and over 3.54 million clients have received care this benefit year. So far, this fiscal year (January 7, 2026), Sun Life has paid out over $3.1 billion in approved claims.

The Canadian Dental Care Plan has significantly improved affordability and access to dental care for millions of Canadians across the country.

The government of Canada is making sure that publicly funded programs like the Canadian Dental Care Plan are administered with integrity in accordance with the eligibility criteria and with responsible stewardship of public funds.

All eligible Canadians now have access to the Canadian Dental Care Plan.

IF PRESSED (Member Eligibility Review)

Service Canada supports Health Canada in ensuring only eligible Canadians receive access to the Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Health Canada has established procedures to review eligibility of clients while respecting privacy and security protocols and, standards of Government of Canada programs.

These efforts will help to protect the personal information of Canadians and safeguard taxpayers’ dollars.

Budget 2023 announced $13.0 billion over five years, starting in 2023-2024, and $4.4 billion to implement the Canadian Dental Care Plan.

It is estimated that up to ten-and-a-half million individuals may be eligible for the plan once fully implemented.

On behalf of Health Canada, Service Canada:

Promotes the plan and provides information through targeted communication efforts and by responding to Canadians’ enquiries.

Accepts applications and processes the Canadian Dental Care Plan eligibility based on criteria determined by Health Canada. One criterion is Adjusted Family Net Income, which must be less than $90k. The Canada Revenue Agency calculates the Adjusted Family Net Income and advises Service Canada if applicants meet this criterion.

Communicates enrolment information to applicants and to a Third-Party Administrator, Sun Life.

Provides application services and dedicated client support via call centres, digital services, and through its community outreach network across Canada.

Sun Life delivers the dental plan coverage to Canadians through a contract established by Health Canada and Public Services & Procurement Canada.

As of January 9, 2026, the Canadian Dental Care Plan specialised call centre has responded to over 2.85 million calls about the Plan since its launch in December 2023.

In March 2025, Service Canada launched for the first time its annual renewal system, enabling existing plan members to renew their coverage online or by phone.

In May 2025, the Canadian Dental Care Plan applications opened to all Canadians.

Details on the Canadian Dental Care Plan Applications:

For the current 2025-2026 Benefit Year, from June 1 to January 2, 2026, Service Canada has received 7,646,576 completed applications, including:

3,263,788 from individuals aged 65 and over.

1,033,563 for children under the age of 18; and

3,349,225 from adults aged 18 to 64.

In March 2025, just over 3 million (3,356,973) invitations to renew coverage for the

2025-2026 period were sent out to eligible Canadians.

Of the 3,374,299 total renewal applications completed, just over 91% (3,069,985) are eligible, suggesting communication efforts on who can apply, when, and how have been strong.

Canadians can apply for dental care online via My Service Canada Account, at canada.ca/dental, by phone, and In-Person assistance is available at select scheduled outreach events. Additionally, Service Canada Centres provide general information about the plan and can direct clients to on-site Citizen Access Workstations to apply. General information is also available using the eService Canada Service Request Form.

None