Canada's public health system has never covered most adult dental care. For decades, Canadians either had workplace dental insurance or paid out of pocket. The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) changed that for many households without coverage, but it isn't free dental care for everyone who qualifies. Depending on your family income and the fees your dentist charges, you may still owe a meaningful share of the bill.
This guide explains the two things that determine what a CDCP member actually pays, walks through the government's own worked examples, and looks at where Canadians who don't qualify, or who need treatment the plan doesn't help much with, sometimes compare options abroad.
The two charges a CDCP member can still owe
The federal government's factsheet on co-payments describes two separate amounts that can land on the patient (Government of Canada, 2024):
- A co-payment, which is a percentage of the CDCP's established fee for the service. Whether you owe one, and how large it is, depends on your adjusted family net income.
- An additional charge, which is the gap between what your provider charges and the CDCP's established fee. Providers are allowed to charge more than the plan's fee, and you pay the difference.
The second item catches people off guard. Even a member with no co-payment can receive a bill if the dentist's fee is higher than the plan's fee for that service. The government advises asking your provider about any costs the plan won't cover before treatment starts.
The government's worked examples
The canada.ca factsheet uses a single service, two units of scaling (about 30 minutes of cleaning), to show how the numbers combine. In its example, the provider charges $145 and the CDCP established fee is $134, so there's an $11 additional charge in every case. All figures are in Canadian dollars (Government of Canada, 2024, CAD).
| Example family income | Co-payment rate | CDCP pays | Patient co-payment | Additional charge | Patient total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $32,000 | None | $134.00 | $0 | $11.00 | $11.00 |
| $76,000 | 40% | $80.40 | $53.60 | $11.00 | $64.60 |
| $82,000 | 60% | $53.60 | $80.40 | $11.00 | $91.40 |
Scaled up to a larger treatment plan, the same arithmetic matters a lot more. A member in the 60% co-payment tier pays the majority of the plan's fee for every covered service, plus any additional charges. For that household, the plan is helpful but far from full coverage.
Running your own numbers
To estimate your share for a specific treatment plan, you need three figures for each service: the provider's fee, the CDCP established fee, and your co-payment rate. Ask your dental office for the first two in writing. Then for each line, your cost is (CDCP fee × your co-payment rate) + (provider fee − CDCP fee). Add the lines together. This is exactly the method the government's factsheet uses, applied to your plan rather than a single cleaning.
How small gaps compound
The government's figures describe a single half-hour of scaling. Many people need that service more than once a year, plus other treatment. Using only canada.ca's numbers, two such appointments would cost a member in the 60% tier $182.80, and the same two appointments would cost a member with no co-payment $22.00, purely from the provider's fee being above the plan's fee. The arithmetic is illustrative, but the pattern holds for every covered service on a plan: your co-payment tier sets most of your bill, and the provider's fee gap adds to it line by line.
This is why it's worth asking, before treatment, whether your provider charges at the CDCP established fee or above it. Two providers offering the same service can leave you with different bills under the same plan.
Where CDCP members still face large bills
Beyond co-payments and fee gaps, a few situations tend to leave members paying more than they expected:
- Services outside the plan's coverage. Cosmetic treatments aren't covered. Some services need preauthorization or have frequency limits. Check the plan's coverage details before assuming a procedure is included.
- Providers who charge well above the established fee. The higher a provider's fee relative to the CDCP fee, the larger the additional charge on every line.
- Finding a participating provider. Not every oral health provider accepts CDCP patients, and in some communities there are few options nearby.
None of this means the plan isn't worthwhile. For a low-income household with no co-payment and a dentist who charges close to the established fee, out-of-pocket costs can be very small. The point is to know your own numbers before you book treatment.
Canadians who aren't covered by CDCP
The plan is designed for residents without access to dental insurance and with family income below the federal threshold; the program's eligibility pages on canada.ca set out the current rules. Households above the threshold, or with access to workplace coverage that's thin, are still paying private fees for much of their care.
We didn't find a reputable published data set of current Canadian private dental fees to quote here. Each province's dental association publishes a suggested fee guide for its members, and actual fees vary by province, city and clinic. If you're uninsured, ask your dentist which fee guide year they follow and whether they charge at, above or below it.
Wait lists and the treatments that take longest
Most dental care in Canada happens in private offices, so waits are usually shorter than for hospital-based surgery. Where Canadians do describe long waits, it's often for specialist referrals or for dental treatment that needs to be done in hospital under general anesthesia. Waits differ widely by province and region, and we don't have a reliable national figure to publish.
If a wait is part of your situation, it's worth asking two questions before comparing options elsewhere: is the wait for the specialist, or for hospital operating time? And is the treatment urgent from a health standpoint, or is it elective? A dentist can help you understand whether waiting carries clinical risk.
When Canadians compare treatment abroad
We don't publish foreign price comparisons on this page because we couldn't source them to a standard we're comfortable with. What we can describe is when the comparison tends to come up and what it should include.
Situations where it comes up
- Large treatment plans, such as implants or multiple crowns, for people who don't qualify for CDCP and have little or no private coverage.
- CDCP members in the highest co-payment tier whose plan includes services the program doesn't cover.
- Snowbirds and others who already spend long periods in the Americas and can schedule treatment and follow-up during an existing stay.
What a fair comparison includes
Compare a written, itemised Canadian quote with a written, itemised foreign quote for the same treatment and materials. Then add flights, accommodation, time off work and an allowance for a possible return trip or local follow-up. Our breakdown of total trip costs line by line shows how to build that comparison, and our note on flight timing covers routing considerations.
Don't count on CDCP for care abroad
The CDCP pays enrolled oral health providers for covered services. Don't assume treatment received outside Canada will be reimbursed. If you're a member considering care abroad, confirm with the program directly; the government lists a CDCP phone line, 1-833-537-4342, on its factsheet. Private insurance plans have their own rules about out-of-country claims, which our guide to dental insurance and treatment abroad covers.
Coordinating with private or workplace coverage
The CDCP is aimed at residents without access to dental insurance, so most members don't have another plan to coordinate with. Households that lose workplace coverage, retire or change jobs should check whether their eligibility changes, in either direction. If you're moving from a workplace plan to the CDCP, or the reverse, time any large treatment carefully: starting a course of treatment under one arrangement and finishing it under another can complicate who pays for which visit. Ask your provider how they'll bill a plan that spans the change.
Checklist before you book anything
- Confirm whether you're eligible for CDCP and which co-payment tier applies to you.
- Ask your dentist for an itemised plan with their fee and the CDCP fee on each line.
- Calculate your share using the government's method.
- If you're comparing options abroad, get a matching itemised foreign quote and add travel costs.
- Plan for follow-up care in Canada after you return.
Beyond the mouth: what does the rest of medicine cost?
Our pair site MedicalCosts.co — The Cost Atlas maps surgical, imaging and hospital pricing across the same countries, with the same sourced-ranges discipline. If you're weighing dental work against other procedures on the same trip, start there.
Open the Cost Atlas →Want a real number instead of a range?
Start with your treatment goals and any existing quote details. The comparison form does not collect X-rays or other medical files; share sensitive records directly with a qualified provider if needed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can my dentist charge more than the CDCP pays?
Yes. The Government of Canada says providers can charge more than the CDCP established fee, and the patient pays the difference as an additional charge. Ask about it before treatment.
What does a 40% co-payment mean in practice?
You pay 40% of the CDCP's established fee for each covered service and the plan pays 60%. In the government's scaling example, that's $53.60 from you and $80.40 from the plan, before any additional charge.
Does the CDCP cover dental work done outside Canada?
Don't assume it does. The plan pays enrolled oral health providers for covered services. Confirm with the program directly before booking treatment abroad.
How do I calculate my share of a bigger treatment plan?
For each service, multiply the CDCP fee by your co-payment rate, then add the gap between your provider's fee and the CDCP fee. Add up the lines. Ask your dental office for both fees on each line in writing.
Is it worth going abroad for dental work if I'm on CDCP with no co-payment?
Usually not for covered services, because your share may be very small. The comparison is more likely to matter for services the plan doesn't cover, or for members in the highest co-payment tier facing a large plan.
Prices quoted on this page come from the linked sources, in the currency and year shown beside each figure. They are published averages and ranges, not quotes, and they change; confirm current pricing in writing with any provider before you commit. This page is general information, not dental, medical or financial advice — treatment decisions should be made with a licensed dentist who has examined you. DentalCosts.co is part of the ColombiaMedical.co network and may receive referral fees from providers; this never changes the prices you pay.