What is Covered by the CDCP?

The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is a new program aimed at reducing cost barriers for dental care, especially for those without private insurance. If you qualify for the CDCP, you might wonder which treatments it will pay for. In this post, we’ll break down what is covered by the CDCP. Understanding this can help you plan your dental visits and make the most of your benefits. 

The Coverage Focus of the CDCP is Essential Dental Care  

The CDCP covers a wide range of routine and basic dental services that are considered essential for maintaining a healthy mouth. Think of it as covering the fundamentals of oral health. Key categories of covered services include: 

Preventive & Diagnostic Dental Care 

The plan encourages regular check-ups and preventive measures. It covers routine dental exams (you’re typically allowed up to 3 exams per year) as well as necessary dental X-rays to screen for issues. Professional teeth cleanings (scaling) and topical fluoride treatments are covered, too. These services help prevent cavities and gum disease. CDCP also covers preventive treatments for kids like dental sealants on molars to stop decay before it starts. Essentially, if it’s about checking your oral health or keeping your teeth and gums healthy, the CDCP likely covers it. 

Basic Restorative Dental Treatments 

If you do get a cavity or minor dental problem, CDCP has you covered. It pays for fillings; both permanent fillings for long-term restoration and temporary fillings if needed. The plan also covers necessary procedures to treat tooth decay or damage, such as freezing and pain control for a diseased tooth and other basic treatments to stop a cavity from progressing. If you have a cavity, CDCP will help pay to fix it. This includes both the typical drilling-and-filling for small cavities and more involved fillings or buildups for larger ones. Simple tooth extractions (pulling a tooth) due to decay or infection are also covered as a basic service. 

Endodontic (Root Canal) Therapy 

When a tooth is severely decayed or infected, a root canal might be needed to save it. Root canal treatments are covered by the CDCP on both front and back teeth. This includes the initial procedure to remove the infected pulp, as well as related treatments like pulpectomies (essentially the first stage of a root canal) and treatment of acute infections or pain related to tooth abscesses. Even re-treatments of previous root canals can be covered if a new infection arises, though those require approval in advance. This is significant, since root canals can be expensive but are necessary to prevent tooth extraction.  

Periodontal (Gum) Treatments 

The CDCP takes gum health into account as well. It covers non-surgical gum therapies like deep cleaning under the gums (scaling and root planing) for gum disease. Treating gum abscesses or infections around the tooth is also included. If you have mobility in a tooth due to bone loss, the plan can cover bonding/splinting of teeth to stabilize them, with pre-approval. Follow-up evaluations after gum surgery, if ever needed, can also be covered with approval.  

Major Dental Restorative Services 

Some more extensive procedures are covered, often with some conditions. For example, dental crowns (caps for damaged teeth) are covered with preauthorization. The plan will pay for a crown if your dentist submits a request showing it’s needed (like a large portion of the tooth is compromised). Posts and cores (which help support a crown) are also covered with approval. While the plan won’t cover purely cosmetic crowns, it will cover them for functional needs. 

Additionally, the CDCP covers dentures to replace missing teeth. This includes standard full dentures and partial dentures with preauthorization. It will also cover denture repairs, relines, and rebases, as well as immediate dentures right after extractions. Complete and partial dentures are covered, whereas permanent solutions like implant-supported dentures or fixed bridges are not (those are considered complex). The idea is to ensure everyone can have at least a basic prosthetic to restore chewing function if they’ve lost teeth. 

Oral Surgery 

Basic surgical needs are covered, including wisdom tooth extractions are paid for by CDCP. Surgical procedures to remove cysts or benign tumors in the mouth are also covered, as well as procedures to set a broken jaw and incisions to drain oral infections. The plan does not cover more advanced jaw surgeries, or anything considered purely cosmetic. 

Dental Anesthesia and Sedation 

If you’re nervous about dental work or require a lengthy procedure, you might need some form of sedation. The CDCP covers basic conscious sedation (like laughing gas or oral sedation). It will also cover deeper sedation methods (IV sedation or general anesthesia) when necessary, provided they’re approved beforehand. For example, young children or patients with disabilities who can’t sit through treatment might need general anesthesia, and the CDCP would cover that with proper authorization. 

Emergency Dental Care 

Emergency exams to address acute pain or infection are covered with the CDCP, and typically don’t count against your routine exam limits per year. Procedures to relieve pain, such as draining an abscess or a temporary filling to calm a toothache, are covered. If you need an emergency dentist in Red Deer, visit Clearview Dental to use your CDCP coverage ASAP.  

Orthodontics 

Braces or other orthodontic treatments have not been part of CDCP thus far. However, starting in 2025, the plan is set to add limited orthodontic coverage for severe cases in youth. This orthodontic benefit will apply only for medical needs (for example, jaw development issues or extreme malocclusions) and will have strict criteria and a spending cap. For most people, routine orthodontics (like braces for mildly crooked teeth) will still not be covered. But it’s good to know that some coverage for ortho is on the horizon for those who truly need it for health reasons. 

How to Use CDCP Coverage 

If you’re eligible for the CDCP, participating dental offices bill the program directly so that you do not have to pay out of pocket unless a co-pay is required. When you visit us at Clearview Market Dental, let our team know you qualify for the CDCP. We are familiar with the program and can help submit the necessary approvals for any treatment that requires it.  

Keep in mind the CDCP may not cover 100% of every procedure’s cost in all cases. If your family income is in the higher range of eligibility (e.g. $70,000–$90,000), the plan might require a co-payment from you. Also, each service has a fee limit (often based on the provincial fee guide). Our office follows the suggested Alberta fee guide, which aligns with CDCP’s allowances, so you won’t be charged above what CDCP covers for a given procedure in most instances. We’ll inform you if any planned treatment goes beyond coverage or if you’ve reached any frequency limit (for example, if you already had three exams that year). 

Need a dentist in Red Deer who accepts your CDCP coverage? Clearview Market Dental is happy to treat patients under the CDCP and will help you navigate exactly what’s covered in your specific situation. If you have any questions about coverage, don’t hesitate to ask us. We’re here to help you make the most of your benefits and keep your smile healthy.