Unless your kids have a real dental emergency, you’re on your own when it comes to paying for dental care. But with the new Canada Dental Benefit, you may not have to worry so much about the costs associated with visits to the dentist.
Provincial and territorial health care insurance covers things like doctor visits, hospital stays, and diagnostic and lab testing. But there are plenty of other aspects of health care that these plans don’t cover, including visits to the dentist.
Whether you want a regular cleaning or need a cavity filled, you’ll need to pay out of pocket, unless you’ve got some form of insurance policy outside of what you’d get with your province or territory.
Unfortunately, the cost of dental services is very expensive. For example, the average price for a cleaning in Ontario ranges anywhere from $120 to $236, and a filling can cost upwards of $174 to $363. Crowns can cost nearly $1,000, and root canals can cost as much as $1,300.
Without insurance, these procedures are often financially out of reach for many Canadians.
Thankfully, the federal government has introduced the Canada Dental Benefit, which is designed to ensure that children have access to proper dental care, regardless of their family’s income. Let’s take a closer look at this new benefit, who is eligible, and how much you can receive.
What Is The Canada Dental Benefit?
The new Canada Dental Benefit offers financial support to cover dental costs for children under the age of 12 years if their parents do not have access to private dental insurance. The benefit is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and provides payments for a 2-year period.
Children who already receive dental coverage under another government program may also qualify for the new benefit if not all dental care costs are covered by that program.
NOTE: Applications for this program is open till June 30, 2024. The program is being discontinued and phased into the new Canada Dental Care Program (CDCP).
How Do You Qualify For The Canada Dental Benefit?
In order to be eligible for the new interim Canada Dental Benefit, you must meet the following criteria:
- Filed your tax return in the previous year and currently receive the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for each qualified child in your care
- Provide information about your employer and dental professional
- Have out-of-pocket dental expenses that aren’t covered by another program
- Earn less than $90,000 per year
- Have a child receiving dental care who is less than 12 years old
- Do not currently have a private dental insurance policy
The CRA may ask to validate your eligibility at some point. As such, it’s important to hold on to your receipts for at least 6 years.
Do I Qualify If I Receive Other Dental Support?
There are already some dental care programs offered by provincial and territorial governments for children under the age of 12. The federal government also offers some coverage under the Non-Insured Health Benefits program to qualifying First Nations and Inuit children.
So, does this mean that anyone who receives some level of coverage under these programs are not eligible for the new Canada Dental Benefit?
Not necessarily. While programs like those just mentioned may offer some level of coverage, they may not cover all types of dental services required. It may still be necessary for parents to pay out-of-pocket for certain services and treatments.
If you have some coverage under one of these programs but are still charged additional costs not entirely covered, you may still qualify for the Canada Dental Benefit.
Do you qualify for the Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) as a parent in Ontario?
How Much Can You Get Through The Canada Dental Benefit?
The amount your child is eligible for depends on your household’s annual adjusted net income:
| Household Annual Adjusted Income | Amount Per Eligible Child |
| Less than $70,000 | – $650 – $325 (shared custody) |
| 70,000 – $79,999 | – $390 – $195 (shared custody) |
| $80,000 – $89,999 | – $260 – $130 (shared custody) |
When Will I Receive The Benefit?
You can receive the benefit for 2 periods. The first period is for dental procedures done between October 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. The child must have been less than 12 years of age as of December 1, 2022.
You can apply for the benefit before your child’s dental appointment and specify the date of the appointment on the form. This will give the dental professional a chance to have the funds readily available without you having to wait to be reimbursed.
Can You Claim Costs From 2022?
Yes, you can get reimbursed for dental appointments that have already taken place that you paid for. Applications for the Canada Dental Benefit started on December 1, 2022, which covers dental care costs retroactive to October 1, 2022, if your child is eligible as of December 1, 2022.
Applications for the second benefit period will begin on July 1, 2023. The last day of applications will be June 30, 2024.
Does The Benefit Cover All Dental Procedures?
The new Canada Dental Benefit covers any dental services provided by a regulated dental professional, including licensed dental hygienists. That means you can use the benefit to cover the cost of cleanings, cavity fillings, root canals, fractured tooth repair, and any other dental care service deemed necessary by a dental or medical professional.
Should You Get Private Dental Insurance?
The new government-backed dental benefit may be great if your family falls under the low-income category and you have kids under the age of 12 who require dental care. However, you may want to consider purchasing a private dental insurance plan, especially if you have older children or if you need treatment for yourself, since the benefit only covers kids.
Here are some reasons why a private insurance policy might be worth the extra money:
Affordable
You can get a private dental insurance plan for less than $40 per month for yourself, and a few extra dollars more to cover additional family members. Given the sky-high cost of dental procedures, insurance can save you quite a bit, especially if you are subject to more than just dental cleanings twice a year.
Just make sure that you understand exactly what services are covered under your particular plan, as cheaper plans will not have as much coverage compared to more expensive policies.
Protects Against Dental Emergencies
You may budget for regular dental visits for you and your family, but what happens if there’s a dental emergency that must be dealt with right away? If you don’t have the extra funds set aside to cover these unexpected situations, a private insurance plan can back you up and protect you against financial risk.
Ensures Access To Care
Dental procedures should not be reserved just for families with a healthy income. Instead, dental care should be accessible to all. Having a private dental insurance plan can give you the opportunity to receive services that you may not otherwise be able to afford if you had to pay out-of-pocket.
Are Braces Covered Under Private Dental Insurance Plans?
Braces are often covered under private insurance for 50% of the cost, up to a certain dollar amount, according to the Canadian Association of Orthodontics (CAO). However, this type of coverage is typically a separate benefit in an insurance policy. You’ll need to speak with your insurance company to find out whether or not your plan covers orthodontic treatment, and if so, at what percentage.
How To Get The Canada Dental Benefit
Right now, you can apply for the first period, which takes place from October 1, 2022 to June 30 2023. The second period that you can apply for starts July 1, 2023 and ends June 30, 2024.
You can apply in one of two ways:
Apply online. If you have a CRA My Account already set up, you can apply online, which is the fastest, easiest, and safest way to apply. If you don’t already have an account set up, you can register by visiting Canada.ca.
Apply by telephone. You can apply by phone by calling 1-800-715-8836. You’ll need to verify your identity by providing the following information:
- Social Insurance Number (SIN)
- Address
- Date of birth
- Last year’s income tax return
For either method of application, you’ll need to provide the following information:
- The dental professional’s name, address, and phone number
- Your employer’s name, address, and phone number
- The date of your child’s dental appointment
Whether you apply online or by telephone, the average payment processing time will be 5 to 10 days. If you are set up for direct deposit with the CRA, it takes up to 5 business days to receive payment. Otherwise, a cheque will be mailed to you in approximately 10 to 12 business days.
What Happens If My Child Requires More Expensive Dental Care?
The most you can claim under the Canada Dental Benefit is $650 per eligible child, which should be enough to cover most basic dental care procedures for children under the age of 12. But if you have a dental bill that exceeds $650 in out-of-pocket expenses during the first claim period, you may be able to apply for a second benefit payment during the second period, which starts July 1, 2023.
If you didn’t apply for the benefit during the first period and you’re dealing with over $650 in dental expenses during the second period, you may be able to apply for two benefit payments during that second eligibility period.
Should I Take Out A Personal Loan To Cover Dental Care?
While the Canada Dental Benefit can certainly be helpful to cover expensive dental visits for your children, it doesn’t cover everything. If you need dental care for yourself or other members of your family over the age of 12 need to visit the dentist, this benefit won’t help.
If you don’t have the funds readily available to cover these costs out-of-pocket, you may want to consider taking on a little debt in the form of a personal loan, especially if the dental care required is somewhat urgent in nature but doesn’t qualify as an emergency according to the medical or dental field.
Do some comparison shopping to find the best deals on personal loans based on your financial profile and credit health. You can check your credit score for free using Loans Canada’s CompareHub.
Final Thoughts
If money is tight but you don’t want your children to sacrifice proper dental care, the Canada Dental Benefit may help you out financially. If you have kids under the age of 12 and earn less than $90,000 per year, you may be eligible for a benefit to help cover the cost of your kids’ dental visits.
