Nearly 6.5 million Canadians signed up for the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) in the 2025-26 benefit year. For some, this meant finally getting dental care. For many others, the promise has not been kept. Almost four million people have received care, but a new report from the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) says that just having coverage is not enough to close the gap between what people need and what they actually get.
The CDCP was launched in December 2023 with a $13 billion CAD budget over 10 years, specifically targeting Canadians without access to private dental insurance.
But the problem goes beyond confusion over bills. Canada does not have enough dental workers. There are about 7,200 open jobs for dental hygienists and assistants. The shortage is worst outside big cities. In places like New Brunswick, patients struggle to find clinics taking new people. If offices cannot hire enough staff, more coverage does not help those left waiting. The CDA wants a national plan to fix the workforce shortage, with better data and federal support for dental assistants.
Official government data shows that since the CDCP's inception, 7,418,894 people have registered, and as of late August 2026, 4,504,690 individuals were actively enrolled for the 2026-2027 period. However, independent 2026 reviews confirm that access to care depends not only on registration, but also on whether dental practices agree to accept CDCP patients and have sufficient staff.
Still, the CDCP has made a difference. The share of Canadians without dental insurance has dropped by 10 percentage points in two years, from 35% to 25%. Of those surveyed, 88% of CDCP patients said their experience was positive. More than 90% of dentists now take part in the program, and most support its goal to make dental care easier to get. These results show what a public plan can do when it works. But they also show where it is falling short.
Canada now faces a new risk. The country does not have regular national oral health surveys. Without good data, leaders cannot tell if the CDCP is really helping or spot which groups are still left out. The CDA says it is urgent to bring back these surveys and keep checking how the program is working.
Canada is not alone. In the United States, recent reports show that coverage gaps and confusion have left millions without care, even as public dental programs grow. The lesson is simple: coverage is just the start. People need clear rules and real access to treatment.
On October 6, the CDA will bring its full report, "From Coverage to Care," to Parliament Hill. It will offer more than 30 ways to make the CDCP stronger. The top priorities are fixing staff shortages, giving patients clear cost details, making preauthorization rules open, and bringing back national oral health surveys.
The federal government says oral health is a national priority. But the next step is about more than sign-up numbers. Success means patients get care on time, at a price they can afford-and that their oral health actually gets better. The facts are clear. Now, the government and dental leaders have to act to make sure the CDCP works for every Canadian who needs it.
