December 1, 2022 – Ottawa, ON and London, ON: Today, the Canadian Dental Association marked the launch of the Canada Dental Benefit (CDB), a time-limited federal government measure which will provide financial support for parents and guardians of children under age 12 who do not have access to a private dental insurance plan and incur out-of-pocket dental care costs.
To mark the launch of the CDB, Dr. Lynn Tomkins, CDA President joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development Karina Gould at an event at Western University’s Schulich School of Dentistry in London, Ontario. At a second event in Ottawa, Dr. Aaron Burry, CDA CEO joined Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos and Minister of National Revenue Diane Lebouthillier at a pediatric dental office.
“Oral health is an essential component of overall health,” said Dr. Tomkins. “Visiting the dentist early and regularly is an important way for a child to get started on their journey to a lifetime of good oral health. Thanks to the Canada Dental Benefit, more children across Canada will get access to the dental care they need to have healthy teeth, mouths, and smiles."
While Canadians visit the dentist on a regular basis, children continue to have high rates of oral disease. More than six million Canadians each year avoid visiting the dentist because of cost. Although every province and territory in Canada has a publicly funded dental program for children, these programs vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, leaving significant gaps in oral health care for low-income families.
“CDA welcomes today’s launch of the Canada Dental Benefit,” said Dr. Burry. “As the federal government moves forward with its historic investment in enhancing access to dental care, we look forward to collaborating with them on this and future initiatives.”
The CDB will provide payments up to $650 per child per year for families with adjusted net income under $90,000 per year and without dental coverage. Parents or guardians of eligible children must apply to receive the CDB through the Canada Revenue Agency My Account portal. Future phases of the federal government’s approach to enhancing access to dental care will expand to include children under age 18, seniors, and persons with disabilities by the end of 2023, and all other adults by 2025.
View a copy of Dr. Tomkins’ complete written remarks and watch the news conference: PM Trudeau Discusses Dental-Care Benefit for Children
About the Canadian Dental Association
The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) is the national voice for dentistry dedicated to the promotion of optimal oral health, an essential component of general health, and to the advancement and leadership of a unified profession. CDA, a non-regulatory authority, is a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization whose corporate members are Canada's provincial and territorial dental associations (PTDAs). CDA represents over 21,000 practising dentists from coast to coast to coast.
Media Contact:
Zelda Burt
Head of Communications
Canadian Dental Association
613-523-7963
media@cda-adc.ca
