NOTE: Sunlife is the parent company of DentaQuest.
OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 8, 2024 /CNW/ – Regular visits to an oral health professional have proven to reduce the risk of tooth decay, gum disease and other serious health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and stroke. However, we know that in 2022 one in four Canadians reported avoiding visiting an oral health professional because of the cost and that a third of the people living in Canada do not have dental insurance. Access to oral health care should not be dependent on Canadians’ ability to pay.
Last December, the Government of Canada launched the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), a new federal plan, administered with the support of Sun Life, which will help make oral health care more affordable for up to nine million Canadian residents who do not currently have access to dental insurance.
Today, the Government of Canada announced further details on the oral health care services that will be covered under the CDCP to prevent and treat oral health issues and disease. The majority of services covered under the CDCP will be available as of May 2024 when the first cohort of CDCP clients will begin to receive services. Some oral health care services such as crowns, initial placement of partial dentures, and general anesthesia will require preauthorization, prior evaluation from an oral health provider, which will be available beginning in the fall of 2024.