The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) has previewed the findings of its year-long assessment of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), drawing on research with 3,000 people across Canada and more than 1,000 dentists. CDA reports that 88% of surveyed CDCP patients described their experience positively, but also that 59% believed their care would be completely free and that 71% of dentists say preauthorization denials have affected patient outcomes. The full report, From Coverage to Care, is scheduled for release on Parliament Hill on October 6.
As of October 2026, the CDCP has moved past its launch phase and into the period where its results can be measured. One of the first detailed reads comes from the Canadian Dental Association. In an opinion piece published by National Newswatch in late September 2026, CDA president Dr. Kirk Preston, a practising prosthodontist in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick, summarized what the association's assessment found and what it will recommend.
For Ontario practices, including offices across Toronto, Brampton, Vaughan and North York, three of these findings land directly at the front desk: cost expectations, preauthorization and staffing.
How CDA Built the Assessment
According to Dr. Preston, CDA spent the past year on the assessment. The research involved 3,000 people across Canada, including both CDCP patients and people not enrolled in the program, as well as more than 1,000 dentists. CDA says it combined those findings with consultations with provincial and territorial dental associations and an analysis of available CDCP and oral health data.
The full methodology has not been published yet. Until the report is released, treat the figures below as CDA's survey findings as described by its president, not as government program statistics.
What Is Working, According to CDA
- Enrolment and use: More than 6.5 million people enrolled in the CDCP during the 2025-26 benefit year, with nearly four million receiving care.
- Patient experience: Among CDCP patients surveyed by CDA, 88% described their experience positively.
- Insurance coverage: CDA's surveys found that the proportion of Canadians who reported having no dental insurance fell by 10 percentage points, from 35% to 25%, over two years.
- Dentist participation: More than 90% of dentists now participate, and Dr. Preston writes that "a strong majority of dentists support the CDCP."
Dr. Preston describes these results as demonstrating "the remarkable impact a public program can achieve." The article also notes that CDA and provincial and territorial dental associations have worked with the federal government on the program's design and implementation for the past five years.
Where CDA Sees Gaps
Dr. Preston frames the central finding this way: "having dental coverage and being able to access affordable, timely dental care are not the same thing for all patients." CDA's preview identifies four problem areas.
1. Affordability and cost expectations
Thirty-seven percent of eligible CDCP patients surveyed reported financial barriers to care. At the same time, 59% mistakenly believed that CDCP coverage meant dental care would be completely free. Dr. Preston writes that many patients arrive expecting full coverage, "only to learn that they may have an amount to pay, which leaves dental teams to explain the program's reimbursement structure." CDA's position is that Canadians need clearer information before they arrive at a dental office about what is covered, what they may pay, and why.
2. Preauthorization denials
According to CDA, approximately half of completed preauthorization requests are denied, and 71% of dentists say denials have affected their patients' oral health outcomes. "When a dentist recommends treatment, but the CDCP does not authorize it, patients are left untreated," Dr. Preston writes. CDA is calling for transparent criteria and meaningful explanations when treatment is not approved.
3. Workforce shortages
CDA cites an estimated 7,200 vacancies for dental hygienists and dental assistants in Canada, and says the shortages are particularly significant outside major urban areas. The association wants a coordinated approach to oral health workforce planning, better national data, and federal programs that recognize the role of dental assistants.
4. Missing national data
Dr. Preston writes that the federal government "now has no dedicated national oral health surveys in operation." Without them, CDA argues, it cannot reliably measure whether the CDCP is improving oral health outcomes or identify which communities are still going without care.
What CDA Will Recommend
CDA says its research offers more than 30 recommendations. Priority areas named in the preview include:
- Addressing oral health workforce challenges
- Giving patients clearer information about costs and coverage
- Making preauthorization decisions more transparent and explaining denials when they happen
- Restoring national surveys that would show whether the investment is improving Canadians' oral health
The full assessment, From Coverage to Care, is scheduled for release on October 6 on Parliament Hill, where CDA says all parliamentarians are invited to a discussion about access to oral health care. The specific recommendations, and the data behind them, will only be clear once the report is public.
What Ontario Practices Can Do Now
None of CDA's recommendations will change the program overnight. Two of the gaps it identifies, however, land directly at your front desk, and your team can act on them this month.
Close the "it's free" gap before the appointment
If 59% of those surveyed expected free care, a meaningful share of your CDCP patients may arrive with the same assumption. The conversation goes better when it happens before the patient is in the chair.
Pro Tip: Add one sentence to your CDCP booking script and confirmation message explaining that the plan may not cover the full cost, and that your team will review any expected patient portion before treatment. A short explanation at booking can prevent a difficult conversation at checkout.
Document preauthorization outcomes
CDA's call for transparent criteria and explanations is an advocacy position. Your own records are what make that position concrete. Tracking which requests are denied, for which procedures, and with what explanation gives your practice the information it needs to follow up with patients and to respond if your provincial association asks members for examples.
Pro Tip: Keep a simple monthly log of CDCP preauthorization requests: date submitted, procedure, decision, date received, and the reason given. Review it each quarter to spot patterns before they become patient complaints.
Plan for the staffing reality
CDA notes the shortages are most acute outside major urban areas, but its workforce findings will be familiar to any owner who has tried to hire a dental hygienist or dental assistant. Expanded coverage only becomes care when a practice has the hours to deliver it. Factor realistic hiring timelines into how many new CDCP patients your schedule can absorb.
EBIKO Dental will continue monitoring the CDCP and will report on the full CDA assessment after its release on October 6. For more Canadian dental news and resources, visit EBIKO Dental.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What did the CDA's CDCP assessment find?
According to CDA president Dr. Kirk Preston, 88% of surveyed CDCP patients described their experience positively and more than 90% of dentists participate. CDA also found that 37% of eligible CDCP patients surveyed reported financial barriers, 59% believed care would be completely free, and 71% of dentists say preauthorization denials have affected patient outcomes.
Q: When will the full CDA report on the CDCP be released?
CDA says it will release its complete assessment, From Coverage to Care, on October 6 on Parliament Hill. The association says the report includes more than 30 recommendations.
Q: Is dental care under the CDCP completely free?
Not necessarily. CDA reports that many patients arrive expecting the CDCP to cover the full cost of treatment, only to learn they may have an amount to pay. Practices should explain any expected patient portion before treatment begins.