Yes — we accept the CDCP, and we are booking new CDCP patients now
That is the answer most people arrive on this page looking for, so it goes first.
Elgin Mills & Yonge Dental Clinic is a participating Canadian Dental Care Plan provider at 10720 Yonge St, Unit 207, near the Yonge and Elgin Mills intersection in Richmond Hill. We are currently accepting new CDCP patients, we submit claims to Sun Life directly, and you will not be asked to pay the covered portion upfront and chase reimbursement afterwards.
A directory listing can tell you a clinic exists. It cannot tell you whether that clinic is taking CDCP patients right now, whether it bills the plan directly, or what you will owe when you leave. Those are the three things worth knowing, and they are answered on this page.
We see CDCP patients from across Richmond Hill, including Oak Ridges, Jefferson, Richvale, Bayview Hill, and Mill Pond, as well as families coming south from Aurora. If it has been several years since your last exam, that is a common starting point and not something to feel awkward about.
Do all dentists accept the CDCP?
No. Participation is voluntary, and a dentist can accept the plan for some patients and not others, or bill it directly for some services and not others. That is why "does the clinic near me take it" is a real question rather than a formality.
There are two ways a dentist can participate. Some have formally enrolled with Sun Life as CDCP providers. Others treat CDCP patients on a claim-by-claim basis without a standing enrolment. Both are legitimate, but they behave differently at the front desk — the second kind may ask you to pay first and claim later.
Before you book anywhere, ask these two questions:
- Do you accept the CDCP, and do you bill it directly? Some practices accept the plan but ask patients to pay upfront and claim afterwards.
- Will I get the expected patient portion in writing before treatment? You should, every time.
At this clinic the answers are yes and yes.
How many dentists have signed up for CDCP?
Enough that you have a genuine choice in Richmond Hill, and the number has climbed steadily since the plan opened to all eligible adults.
We deliberately do not quote a participation count here. Health Canada updates the figure periodically, and a number copied onto a clinic website goes stale within months — several pages currently ranking for this question cite counts from an earlier phase of the rollout. If you want the current figure, Health Canada publishes it, and Sun Life maintains the authoritative search of participating providers by postal code.
What matters more than the national total is whether a specific clinic is taking new CDCP patients on the day you call. That changes far more often than the headline number does.
Does CDCP cover tooth filling?
Yes. Fillings fall under restorative services, which are part of what the plan covers, and they are among the most commonly claimed CDCP treatments.
Coverage is not unconditional. It depends on the tooth, the surfaces involved, the material appropriate for that tooth, and the plan's frequency rules — the CDCP will not fund a repeat restoration on the same surface of the same tooth sooner than its schedule allows. Straightforward fillings do not normally require preauthorization; more extensive restorative work can.
Also covered: exams, X-rays, cleanings and scaling, fluoride and sealants, root canal therapy, extractions, dentures, and periodontal treatment. Not covered at any income level: dental implants, bone grafts, orthodontics including braces and Invisalign, and cosmetic treatments such as whitening and veneers.
How much does the CDCP cover for dental?
The plan pays an established amount for each covered service, and depending on your adjusted family net income you may also owe a co-payment on top.
Three things determine what you actually pay:
- Whether the service is covered at all. Implants and orthodontics are not, at any income level.
- Your income-based co-payment tier. Households in the lowest eligible income band have no co-payment; the middle band pays a share of the CDCP amount; the highest eligible band pays a larger share. Sun Life confirms your tier when your coverage starts, and it appears on your CDCP letter.
- The gap between the CDCP amount and the clinic's fee. The plan reimburses at its own established rates, which can sit slightly below the Ontario Dental Association Suggested Fee Guide most clinics reference. Where they differ, that difference is yours.
None of these are guesses we can make for you over the phone, which is why an estimate in writing matters. We check your coverage, apply your tier, and show the expected patient portion before you agree to anything.
Where to read the full plan rules
The Canadian Dental Care Plan opened dental care to many Richmond Hill residents who had gone without it for years, and the program rules behind it are more detailed than any single page should try to hold.
For the full walkthrough of eligibility, covered and excluded services, co-payments, and preauthorization, see our guide to what the CDCP covers and who is eligible. Sun Life administers the plan and maintains the official list of participating providers if you want to compare options. Locally, the services CDCP patients most often ask us about are general dentistry, root canal therapy, and dentures.
Every patient is charged the same fee
We want to be direct about this, because patients ask. There is not one price for privately insured patients and another for CDCP patients. The fee for a cleaning, a filling, or a denture is the same for you as for anyone else in the chair.
Where a difference can appear is on the program side. Most Ontario dentists set fees with reference to the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) Suggested Fee Guide. The CDCP reimburses according to its own established amounts, which can sit slightly below that guide. When it does, that small gap becomes the patient's portion, and depending on your income there may also be a co-payment.
What to bring to your first visit
Bring your CDCP coverage information, government identification, and any private insurance details you also hold. Add a current medication list and any medical conditions worth flagging. If a specific tooth is bothering you, note when the pain started, what makes it worse, and whether there has been swelling or fever.
The first visit is usually an exam, X-rays where clinically needed, and a cleaning, followed by a plain-language explanation of what we found. If treatment is recommended, we review whether CDCP applies and whether preauthorization is needed before anything proceeds.
Getting here from around Richmond Hill
The clinic sits on Yonge Street just south of Elgin Mills Road, in a commercial building with visitor parking and elevator access to Unit 207. From Oak Ridges and Jefferson, head south on Yonge. From Bayview Hill or Richmond Green, take Elgin Mills Road west to Yonge. From Aurora, continue south on Yonge past Bloomington.
Evening and Saturday appointments are available, which helps if you are coordinating a CDCP visit around work or school hours.