Eligibility for the Canadian Dental Care Plan expanded to people aged 18 to 34 Thursday (May 15).
Beginning May 15, Canadians aged 18 to 34 can now apply for the plan. It's expected that up to 4.5 million uninsured Canadians between the ages of 18 and 64 will join the program.
To qualify for the program, people must:
• Not have access to dental insurance
• Have filed their individual 2024 tax return in Canada (and their spouse’s or common-law partner’s, if applicable)
• Have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000
• Be a Canadian resident for tax purposes
Applications for people aged 35 to 54 will open May 29.
The plan is already open to Canadians under 18 and over 55. As of March 18, 2025, more than 3.4 million applicants have been approved and more than 1.6 million approved applicants have received care.
The final group of Canadians to become eligible for the plan will start access to dental care as early as June 1, 2025. The start date will vary based on when people apply, when the application is received and when enrolment is completed.
The federal government said in March that close to 98 per cent of active dentists, denturists, dental hygienists, and dental specialists in Canada, including those in educational institutions, are caring for patients covered under the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
