The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is updating its Dental Benefit Grids on April 1, 2026, with revised fee schedules for every province and territory. Ontario dental practices should review the new grids now to adjust billing workflows before the changes take effect. Here is what you need to know about the April 2026 CDCP fee update and how it affects your practice.
As of March 2026, the Canadian Dental Care Plan continues to expand its reach across the country, with Ontario leading provider participation at over 42% of enrolled practices. The upcoming April 1, 2026 fee grid update represents the most significant revision since the program launched — and every dental practice accepting CDCP patients needs to prepare.
What Is Changing on April 1, 2026?
The CDCP Dental Benefit Grids — the documents that outline covered procedures and reimbursement amounts — will be updated across all provinces and territories on April 1, 2026. Sun Life, the plan's administrator, will publish new grids covering four professional categories in each jurisdiction:
- General dentists and specialists
- Dental hygienists
- Denturists
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeons
The updated grids include fee increases that reflect, in part, rising costs across the dental sector. However, the degree to which these increases align with the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) 2026 Suggested Fee Guide remains a key concern for providers.
How the CDCP Fee Grid Compares to the ODA Suggested Fee Guide
The ODA released its 2026 Suggested Fee Guide for General Practitioners in December 2025. This guide serves as the benchmark for private-practice billing in Ontario. However, CDCP reimbursement rates follow a separate federal fee schedule that, for many procedure codes, falls below the ODA suggested amounts.
This gap has been a persistent point of contention. According to an ODA survey conducted in late 2025, while 67% of responding Ontario dentists supported the CDCP in principle, 46% reported feeling less positive about their experience with the program — and reimbursement shortfalls were a primary driver of that sentiment.
Pro Tip: Download the updated CDCP Dental Benefit Grids from the Sun Life provider portal on April 1 and compare key procedure codes (scaling, restorations, extractions) against your ODA 2026 Fee Guide line by line. Identify the largest gaps so you can plan patient communication accordingly.
What Ontario Practices Should Do Before April 1
Preparation is the difference between a smooth transition and billing headaches. Here are the steps your practice should take now:
1. Audit Your CDCP Patient Volume
Pull a report from your practice management software showing how many patients currently use CDCP as their primary coverage. If CDCP patients represent more than 15% of your active patient base, the fee grid changes will have a material impact on your revenue projections for Q2 2026.
2. Update Your Practice Management Software
Confirm with your software vendor (Dentrix, Tracker, ClearDent, ABELDent, or whichever system you use) that they will push an update reflecting the new CDCP fee codes and amounts. Some vendors release updates automatically; others require manual configuration. Do not assume — ask directly.
3. Retrain Front Desk and Billing Staff
Your administrative team needs to understand which codes have changed, which are new, and how to handle the co-payment calculations if your practice charges above the CDCP reimbursement amount. Schedule a 30-minute team briefing in the first week of April.
4. Review Co-Payment Policies
Under the CDCP, providers can charge patients the difference between their usual fee and the CDCP reimbursement. This is permitted but must be communicated transparently to patients. If you plan to collect co-payments, prepare a simple written explanation for your front desk to share with affected patients.
Pro Tip: The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) recommends using a standardized consent form when collecting co-payments from CDCP patients. Draft or update this form before the April 1 changes go live.
CDCP Renewal Deadlines: A Related Concern
While the fee grid update takes effect on April 1, the CDCP renewal window for enrolled members opens on April 15, 2026. Members who do not renew by June 1, 2026 will lose coverage on June 30, 2026. This means your practice may see a wave of patients urgently booking appointments in April and May to use their benefits before they potentially lapse.
Plan for increased call volume and appointment requests during this window. If your practice uses an online booking system, consider adding a banner or notification reminding CDCP patients of the renewal deadline.
How the CDA Is Advocating for Providers
The Canadian Dental Association has been actively lobbying the federal government for adjustments to the CDCP on several fronts:
- Reimbursement alignment: Pushing for CDCP rates to more closely reflect provincial fee guides
- Administrative burden: Advocating for simplified claims processing and faster payment timelines
- Clinical training impacts: Working with the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry to address how the CDCP affects dental education programs, particularly clinical rotations where students treat government-program patients
Ontario providers can stay informed on CDA advocacy updates through the ODA's CDCP FAQ page, which is updated regularly.
What This Means for Dental Practices in the GTA
Practices in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Vaughan, Scarborough, and North York operate in one of the most competitive dental markets in Canada. For GTA practices that accept a high volume of CDCP patients, the April fee update is both an opportunity and a challenge.
The opportunity: higher reimbursement rates mean improved margins on CDCP-covered procedures. The challenge: if the increases still fall short of the ODA suggested fees, the gap between what you charge privately and what CDCP reimburses may widen for certain codes. Practices need to decide — on a code-by-code basis — whether to absorb the difference or pass it along as a co-payment.
Pro Tip: Run a financial model comparing your top 10 most frequently billed CDCP procedure codes under the old and new grids. Even a $5-10 increase per procedure adds up quickly across hundreds of CDCP patients per quarter.
Looking Ahead: The CDCP in 2026 and Beyond
The CDCP is still in its early years, and the program continues to evolve. With Ontario accounting for the largest share of enrolled providers and patients nationally, the province's dental community has significant influence on the program's direction. Engage with your local ODA chapter, provide feedback through CDA surveys, and participate in Town Halls when they are scheduled. The practitioners who shape this program early will benefit most as it matures.
EBIKO Dental will continue monitoring the CDCP fee grid updates and will share any material changes as they are published. For the latest Canadian dental industry news, visit ebiko.ca.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When do the new CDCP Dental Benefit Grids take effect in 2026?
The updated CDCP Dental Benefit Grids take effect on April 1, 2026, across all provinces and territories. New grids for general dentists, hygienists, denturists, and oral surgeons will be published on the Sun Life provider portal on that date.
Q: Can Ontario dentists charge patients more than the CDCP reimbursement amount?
Yes. Under the CDCP, dental providers in Ontario are permitted to charge patients the difference between their usual fee and the CDCP reimbursement rate. This co-payment must be communicated to the patient in advance, and the CDA recommends using a standardized consent form.
Q: How do I access the updated CDCP fee schedules for Ontario?
Updated Dental Benefit Grids will be available on the Sun Life provider portal starting April 1, 2026. Visit the Sun Life CDCP provider section and select the Ontario grid for your professional category (general dentist, hygienist, denturist, or oral surgeon).