The short answer
The Canadian Dental Care Plan covers a defined list of services. Anything not on that list is not covered, at any income level, for any patient.
Not covered by the CDCP:
- Orthodontics of every kind — conventional braces, Invisalign, other clear aligners, and orthodontic retainers
- Dental implants and implant-supported crowns, bridges, or dentures
- Bone grafting and sinus lifts
- Fixed bridges
- Cosmetic treatment — whitening, veneers placed for appearance, cosmetic bonding
- Anything already payable by another plan, private or governmental
Covered, subject to frequency limits and, for some services, preauthorization: exams, X-rays, cleanings and scaling, fluoride and sealants, fillings, root canal therapy, extractions including wisdom teeth, gum treatment, and complete and partial removable dentures.
The rest of this page takes the exclusions one at a time, because the summary above is where most confusion starts rather than ends.
Does the CDCP cover braces?
No. Orthodontic treatment is excluded from the Canadian Dental Care Plan at every income level.
We are being blunt about this because the internet is not. At the time of writing, a dental clinic page ranking on the first page of Google for this exact question states that the CDCP does cover braces. It does not. Acting on that answer means starting a treatment plan on a funding assumption that will not hold, and orthodontic treatment is not something you can stop halfway through without consequence.
The exclusion covers the whole category: metal braces, ceramic braces, lingual braces, Invisalign, every other clear aligner system, and orthodontic retainers.
Does the CDCP cover braces for kids?
No. Age makes no difference. A child enrolled in the CDCP has exactly the same orthodontic coverage as an enrolled adult, which is none.
This surprises parents more than any other item here, partly because children's dental programmes do exist in Ontario and are genuinely useful. But they have the same gap: Healthy Smiles Ontario also excludes orthodontics. A child can be fully covered for exams, cleanings, fillings, X-rays, sealants, and urgent care, and still have no coverage whatsoever for braces.
The narrow exception in Canada is generally hospital-based care connected to a diagnosed craniofacial condition — cleft lip and palate being the clearest example. That is handled through the health system rather than through dental benefit plans, and it is assessed case by case.
If orthodontics is on the horizon for your child and you have a workplace plan as well, check it. Private plans frequently carry a separate lifetime orthodontic maximum that sits outside the annual dental maximum, and it is often restricted to dependants under a certain age. That is the coverage most families end up using.
Does the CDCP cover Invisalign?
No. Invisalign is orthodontic treatment, and orthodontics is excluded in full.
There is no distinction here between aligners and fixed braces — the plan does not treat clear aligners as a separate or more cosmetic category that might be assessed differently. Both sit outside the covered list for the same reason. Our Invisalign page sets out what actually drives the cost and which funding routes remain.
Does the CDCP cover dental implants?
No, and this exclusion is broader than it first appears. It covers:
- The implant fixture itself
- The abutment and the crown placed on it
- Implant-supported bridges and implant-retained dentures
- Bone grafting and sinus lifts — the preparatory surgery implants often require
That last point catches people. Patients sometimes assume the groundwork might be covered even if the implant is not. It is not.
What the plan does cover for missing teeth is removable dentures, complete or partial. If cost is the deciding factor, that is the conversation worth having: a partial denture is a covered, functional tooth replacement, and it is worth comparing honestly against an uncovered implant before ruling it out. Our guide to the cost of dental implants covers the comparison, including the Medical Expense Tax Credit, which can apply to implant treatment even though the CDCP does not.
Does the CDCP cover crowns?
Sometimes — and this is the one genuine "it depends" on the page.
Crowns can be covered when they are clinically necessary: restoring a tooth that is badly broken down, cracked, or has had root canal treatment and needs full coverage to survive. A crown placed to change the appearance of a sound tooth is cosmetic, and is not covered.
Two practical conditions attach:
- Preauthorization is generally required. Clinical information — X-rays, notes, the proposed treatment — is submitted for review, and a decision comes back before treatment proceeds. This takes time. It is not a same-day approval, and starting treatment before the decision arrives risks paying for it yourself.
- The plan pays its established amount, which may sit below the fee your clinic charges with reference to the Ontario Dental Association Suggested Fee Guide. The difference is yours, on top of any income-based co-payment.
Ask for a written estimate showing the expected patient portion before the preauthorization is even submitted, so nothing about the number is a surprise later.
Does the CDCP cover bridges?
Fixed bridges: generally no. The plan's tooth-replacement coverage runs through removable prosthodontics rather than fixed bridgework.
If a bridge is what you had in mind, ask specifically about a partial denture as the covered alternative. It is removable, which some people dislike, but it is a real functional replacement that the plan will fund. Making that comparison with actual information beats discovering the coverage gap after treatment planning is finished.
Does the CDCP cover wisdom teeth removal?
Generally yes. Extractions fall within the oral surgery services the plan covers, and that includes the surgical removal of wisdom teeth.
Complexity matters for process rather than principle: more involved surgical cases may need preauthorization before proceeding. And coverage of the extraction does not automatically extend to every associated service — ask what is included in the plan submitted on your behalf. Our wisdom teeth page covers what the procedure involves and when removal is actually indicated.
Does the CDCP cover dentures?
Yes — and for many patients this is the single most valuable thing the plan does.
Complete and partial removable dentures are covered. Three conditions apply: preauthorization is generally required, there are frequency limits on how often a denture can be replaced, and relines, rebases, and repairs have their own rules and their own limits.
If you are approaching the point where teeth are being lost, plan the sequence with the frequency limits in mind rather than discovering them afterwards. Our dentures page covers the options.
Does the CDCP cover teeth whitening?
No. Whitening is cosmetic, and cosmetic treatment is excluded in full. So are veneers placed to change the appearance of healthy teeth, and cosmetic bonding.
The dividing line is clinical purpose, not visual outcome. A filling in a front tooth that also happens to look better afterwards is restorative treatment and is assessed as such. A veneer placed on an undamaged tooth to change its shape is cosmetic. If you are unsure which side of the line a proposed treatment falls on, ask before it is done, not after.
Why a claim gets denied even for a covered service
A service being on the covered list is necessary but not sufficient. Claims are commonly denied because:
- A frequency limit has not reset yet — the plan funds a cleaning or a set of X-rays at defined intervals, not on demand
- Preauthorization was required and not obtained
- Another plan should pay first — the CDCP is not intended for people with access to private dental insurance
- Enrolment has lapsed, which happens more quietly than people expect
- The service was cosmetic in purpose even though the procedure code exists on the covered list
Where to check, and what we can tell you
Health Canada publishes the plan's terms and Sun Life administers it, including the definitive list of covered services and the preauthorization requirements. Those are the authoritative sources, and they are the ones to check before making a decision with money attached. This page explains the exclusions; it does not replace them.
What a dental office can do is submit a preauthorization, give you a written estimate showing the expected patient portion, and tell you plainly when a treatment you are considering is not covered — before you start rather than after.
For the coverage side of the plan, see what the CDCP covers and who is eligible. If you are in Richmond Hill and looking for a practice that accepts it, our CDCP page explains how the plan works at this clinic, and free and low-cost dental care in Ontario covers the provincial programmes that may fill some of the gaps above.