Dental insurance in Canada is an important part of healthcare that allows you to save money when accessing quality dental care.
Generally, there are several dental insurance plans available in Canada. Some plans are offered by employers, while others are available to purchase independently.
However, to avoid wasting money on plans that don’t match your needs, it’s important to consider the dental coverage offered vs. the total cost of the plan.
Whether you’re purchasing a plan or have coverage through your job, dental insurance shouldn’t be left out of your financial plans.
Dental insurance: the basics
Dental insurance offers different plans that help you pay for your dental care expenses.
Most dental care routines cost a lot of money – some routine check-ups and preventive cleaning work cost more than $100 per session. And that doesn’t include things like:
- routine appointments,
- fluoride treatments, and
- x-rays.
Choosing the right dental insurance plan helps keep these expensive healthcare costs to a minimum. But whether you decide to go with a short-term or long-term dental insurance plan, rest assured that there are numerous flexible options that’ll suit your interest.
But before you start contemplating which plan is best, let’s look at the basics of dental insurance.
Is dental insurance covered by the government?
General oral care (dental care) isn’t included in the Canada Health Act. However, it’s available through health plans offered by many employers. Most Canadians access oral health care at private dental clinics and either pay out-of-pocket for the treatment or go through insurance.
However, there is an exception to this – some government programs cover dental services because they consider the health and well-being of Canadians paramount.
Below is a list of some government programs covering this service:
- Veterans Affairs Canada,
- Northwest Territories (for children and seniors),
- Interim Federal Health Program (for older adults and resettled refugees),
- Nova Scotia, and
- Yukon.
Why do you need dental insurance? Can’t you pay out of pocket?
The expenses that come with health and dental care can be significant. If you decide to start paying your dental costs out-of-pocket, there may be times when it breaks the bank, so to speak.
With dental insurance, you can access preventive visits at little or no extra cost. Regular cleanings and dental exams will be carried out for preventive check-ups when you visit the clinic. If there are problems, the dentist can likely detect them in time to repair or treat the issues and avoid long-term damage.
Plus, you’ll be protected from financial risk. You shouldn’t just focus on protecting your assets with home and car insurance – get your mouth covered too. Preventative care is the best way to ward off future oral problems that can be both physically and financially painful.
If expensive dental issues do arise, you’ll be much less stressed, emotionally and financially, if you have dental insurance.
Are there many insurers that cover dental work?
Most health insurance providers offer different dental plans to suit a variety of needs and budgets. And though health insurance and dental plans seem very much alike, they have some disparities. You’ll want to check the details of your dental plan before signing with a specific provider.
Some of the top companies providing dental insurance in Canada are:
- Manulife,
- Canada Protection Plan,
- Sun Life,
- Blue Cross, and
- Green Shield Canada.
How does dental insurance work?
Dental insurance covers a range of costs and procedures, like annual cleanings, preventive visits, and more.
In many cases, you’ll have to pay a certain percentage of your dental work while your insurance company takes care of the larger percentage.
Generally, dental insurance coverage is broken into these 2 categories: preventative and basic dental care. Some companies offer a 3rd category for major dental care.
We’ll discuss these categories in more detail a bit later.
How to find the best dental insurance in Canada
It’s important to understand that everyone has unique personal needs for dental care. Your reason for using a dental insurance plan may not be the same as someone else’s. Because of this, you shouldn’t compare your own needs or costs with those of your friends or extended family.
Below are some major aspects you should seriously consider before choosing a dental insurance package or provider:
Family history
Medical conditions (like diabetes and hypertension) can be hereditary, as can some specific dental issues.
For example, if your dad has an oral condition that requires a root canal, you may inherit it. Or your teeth might be poorly aligned, just like those of your parents and siblings.
Aside from genetic issues, personal oral care is a learned habit. If you learned poor brushing techniques as a child, you might pass this down to your own kids. On the other hand, you can certainly improve your own oral care routines with care and consistency. But it’s still important to keep this in mind when growing your own family.
Age
It’s normal for our bodies to deteriorate with age – our teeth and mouths are no exception. So if you’re approaching retirement and getting older, it’ll be in your best interest to include dental insurance in your retirement plan.
Unfortunately, seniors commonly experience a wide range of dental issues, including these:
- tooth decay,
- tooth discoloration,
- tooth loss, and
- gum disease.
Children
It’s true that basic dental needs for kids are covered under the Canadian Health Act. But dental problems requiring braces aren’t included in the act, as well as other oral conditions. It’s the parents’ full responsibility to take care of those.
Here are some common oral issues that children experience:
- tooth decay,
- bad breath,
- sensitive teeth,
- grinding, and
- canker sores.
Signing up for dental insurance will help you not strain your budget. Depending on your plan, you’ll be able to take care of your children’s oral care at very little cost.
Different types of dental insurance
As discussed earlier, insurance companies tend to organize various types of coverage into 2 or 3 tiers. Insurance providers will include these tiers with some of their health insurance packages.
Preventative dental care
In most cases, this type of care includes routine maintenance procedures and diagnostic services like:
- x-rays,
- teeth cleaning and polishing,
- regular oral exams,
- fillings,
- extractions,
- scaling,
- sealants (plastic tooth covering to prevent decay), and
- fluoride treatments.
There are many dental insurance plans that will cover 80% of the costs of these preventative care measures.
Basic dental care
Basic care usually takes care of all the preventative measures mentioned above, plus includes these services and procedures:
- periodontal treatment,
- endodontics,
- denture cleaning and repairs,
- braces,
- oral surgery,
- crowns,
- bridges,
- root canals,
- fillings, and
- extractions.
Most insurance companies take care of 60% – 80% of these service costs, leaving you to pay the considerably lesser amount that’s left over. This isn’t the case with all dental insurance plans, of course, but with many.
You should note that some dental insurance plans classify root canals under primary dental care, while others place them as “basic.”
And possibly another category…
Some dental insurance providers recognize a 3rd category for major dental care.
If this is the case, you’ll likely see these services and procedures covered under “major care” instead of “basic care”:
- inlays & onlays,
- crowns,
- braces,
- dentures, and
- bridges.
The fees for major dental care are expensive, and those insurance companies with this tier of coverage will usually only take care of 50% of the costs.
Want to learn more about health care in Canada? Check out our full guide to Canadian health care.
The best credit cards to use at the dentist office
It’s important to note that most dental insurance plans don’t pay 100% of the dental bill. You’ll need to foot the rest of the bills.
Here are some credit card suggestions that’ll earn you a high amount of rewards on the rest.
$100 GeniusCash + 55,000 points + Up to 2.33% return on purchases.*Get high-value flexible flight rewards and the option to boost reward value even higher by transferring your points to 4 airline rewards programs with the RBC Avion Visa Infinite.
- Genius Rating:
- Rewards rate: around 2.36%
- Our credit estimate: Fair (560-660)
- Welcome bonus: up to 55,000 bonus points* (Ends 2025/11/25)
- Annual fee: $120
- Interest: 20.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash*
- * See rates and fees
- It'll take you to the bank's secure site.
- You'll get the chance to read the offer and product details.
- If you choose to apply, filling the form should take between 10 to 15 minutes.
GC: $100
- It'll take you to the bank's secure site.
- You'll get the chance to read the offer and product details.
- If you choose to apply, filling the form should take between 10 to 15 minutes.
Looking for a credit card that will give you the most benefits and VIP status of any card available? The American Express Platinum Card will not only earn you rewards, but offers great benefits and perks while travelling. Get travel discounts, airport lounge access and more with this card.
- Genius Rating:
- Rewards rate: around 2.45%
- Our credit estimate: Fair (560-660)
- Welcome bonus: up to 30,000 bonus points*
- Annual fee: $799
- * See rates and fees
- It'll take you to the bank's secure site.
- You'll get the chance to read the offer and product details.
- If you choose to apply, filling the form should take between 10 to 15 minutes.
- It'll take you to the bank's secure site.
- You'll get the chance to read the offer and product details.
- If you choose to apply, filling the form should take between 10 to 15 minutes.
This no fee card gives you the benefits of a higher fee card, including a great cash back rate, no limit to the amount you can earn, and many other great AMEX perks.
- Genius Rating:
- Rewards rate: around 1.46%
- Our credit estimate: Good (660-725)
- Welcome bonus: up to $71*
- Annual fee: $0
- Interest: 21.99% on purchases, 21.99% on cash*
- * See rates and fees
- It'll take you to the bank's secure site.
- You'll get the chance to read the offer and product details.
- If you choose to apply, filling the form should take between 10 to 15 minutes.
- It'll take you to the bank's secure site.
- You'll get the chance to read the offer and product details.
- If you choose to apply, filling the form should take between 10 to 15 minutes.
The Brim World Elite Mastercard provides simple rewards, high insurance coverage, and no foreign exchange fees in addition to a host of other perks.
- Genius Rating:
- Rewards rate: around 1.3%
- Our credit estimate: Excellent (760-901)
- Welcome bonus: N/A
- Annual fee: $89
- Interest: 19.99% on purchases, 21.50% on cash*
- FX feature: 1.5% FX fee
So will you buy dental insurance in Canada?
Since dental care isn’t included in health insurance plans, it is only advisable to sign up for dental health insurance either independently or through your employer. By doing so, you won’t have to break the bank to take care of your dental health.
Will you still want to continue paying out-of-pocket, or you’ll sign up for dental insurance? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
FAQ
Does Canadian health insurance cover dental?
Unfortunately, dental care isn’t included in the Canadian Health Act. While there are some government programs that offer help for this area, most Canadians either pay out-of-pocket for their oral care or they use dental insurance.
Is it worth getting dental insurance in Canada?
Yes, most Canadians find that paying for dental insurance is worth it. Many employers offer group health insurance plans for their workers that include dental coverage, but even private plans for individuals can be much less expensive than paying out-of-pocket for your dental care needs.
How do I choose the best dental insurance plan?
There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing the best dental insurance plan. To name a few, you’ll want to consider your family’s history of dental health, the age of those in your household who will be added to your plan, and the specific needs of children (if you have any). You can read more about these considerations here.
Who offers the best dental insurance in Canada?
Here are some of the top 5 companies that offer the best dental insurance in Canada: Manulife, Canada Protection Plan, Sun Life, Blue Cross, and Green Shield Canada. When choosing between these and other providers, make a list of details to consider, including those we’ve mentioned above.
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