Canadian Dental Care Plan eligibility: the four rules and the $90,000 income limit

Who qualifies for the Canadian Dental Care Plan?

The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is a federal program that covers part or all of the cost of dental care for residents who have no dental insurance and moderate income. Canadian Dental Care Plan eligibility rests on four rules, and you must meet all four (Canada.ca, Do you qualify, updated July 15, 2026).

1. No access to dental insurance. This includes coverage through your own or a family member's job or pension, a professional or student organization, a plan you or a family member buy, and health spending accounts that pay dental costs.
2. Taxes filed. You, and your spouse or common-law partner if you have one, must have filed a return for the previous year so income can be assessed.
3. Adjusted family net income under $90,000.
4. Canadian resident for tax purposes, and the same for your spouse or partner.

Having access counts even if you chose not to use it. If your employer offers dental benefits and you declined them, you do not qualify. The only exception Service Canada lists is for retirees who opted out of dental coverage through their pension plan before December 11, 2023 and cannot opt back in. Opting out after that date does not make you eligible.

How do I tell if I have access to dental insurance?

Check your tax slips. Employers report dental access in box 45 of the T4 slip, and pension payers use box 015 of the T4A slip. Code 1 means no access to dental coverage; codes 2, 3, 4 or 5 mean some coverage is available to you or your family.

Seniors often lose workplace coverage when they retire but keep it through a pension plan, so the T4A code matters. If you are 60 to 64 and have left work, read can I get OAS before 65 as well, because the same retirement date affects when public pensions begin.

What is the Canadian Dental Care Plan eligibility income limit?

The limit is adjusted family net income under $90,000. It is based on your net income (line 23600) plus your spouse's or partner's, with a few adjustments, taken from the previous year's returns.

Worked example: a couple has net incomes of $52,000 and $36,500, a family total of $88,500. One partner received $1,200 of RDSP income on line 12500, so adjusted family net income is $87,300. They qualify, but in the top co-payment band.

How much do I pay at each income level?

Your share of each covered service depends on the same income figure (Canada.ca, CDCP coverage, updated August 27, 2026):

Because the bands have hard edges, $1 of income can change your share. At $69,999 you pay nothing on covered services; at $70,000 you pay 40%. Ask the dental office before treatment whether it will bill anything beyond what the plan pays.

Do I need to renew the Canada Dental Care Plan every year?

Yes. Canada dental care plan renewal is required every year to confirm you still meet the rules, including that you still have no access to dental insurance. Each benefit period ends on June 30.

• 2026 renewal: closed June 1, 2026.
• 2027-2028 renewal: opens in spring 2027, according to Service Canada. The exact opening date and deadline are not yet announced.
• How to renew: through My Service Canada Account or by phone with Service Canada.
• Missed the window: you can apply again, but care received during the gap before approval is not covered or reimbursed later.

Is the dental care plan a payment?

No. The CDCP is coverage, not a cash benefit, so it will never appear as a deposit or on a benefit payment calendar. Service Canada confirms eligibility, then shares your details with Sun Life, which mails a welcome package with a member card. Dental providers bill the plan directly.

You can book care only on or after the coverage start date in your Government of Canada letter. Some services, including crowns, partial dentures, immediate complete dentures and root canal re-treatment, need preauthorization before treatment. Most diagnostic, preventive and basic services do not.

That also means the CDCP is not listed in CRA My Account; it lives in My Service Canada Account. Our CRA My Account guide shows what the CRA side does hold, and the CRA benefits list covers every cash payment.

How do I apply if I qualify?

As of September 2026, applications are open for the 2026-2027 benefit year. You can apply online through My Service Canada Account, online through the Canada.ca application, or by phone with Service Canada. After applying you get a letter or email confirming whether you are enrolled.

1. Confirm that you, and your spouse or partner, filed last year's tax return.
2. Check T4 box 45 and T4A box 015 to confirm you have no dental coverage.
3. Work out adjusted family net income and your co-payment band.
4. Apply online or by phone, and wait for the enrolment letter.
5. Wait for the Sun Life member card, then book care after your coverage start date.

Seniors weighing the CDCP alongside pension income should see benefits for seniors in Canada. And if you are catching up on unfiled returns to qualify, the same returns can release unpaid amounts from the Canada Carbon Rebate for 2021 to 2024.