Canada's dental care plan has reportedly denied over half of the requests for preauthorized complex dental work. Health Canada stated that between November 2024 and June 2025, more than 50 percent of these requests were rejected. The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), which began in 2023, aims to make dental care more affordable for eligible Canadians.

Currently, 5.2 million people are approved for coverage under the CDCP, but only about 2.2 million have received care. The program is available to residents with an adjusted family net income below $90,000 who lack dental insurance. It is managed by Sun Life, a contracted third-party insurance provider.

Complex dental procedures, such as crowns, partial dentures, root canals, and oral surgeries, require preauthorization. Health Canada noted that the approval process differs from that of private insurance plans. "The CDCP coverage criteria are more stringent," the agency stated. Supporting documentation is necessary to demonstrate that the work is medically essential before coverage is granted.

Dr. Bruce Ward, a Vancouver dentist and president of the Canadian Dental Association, expressed concerns about the high rejection rates. He said, "There’s been a lot of confusion for dentists who send in what we would normally send in to a private plan, and it comes back rejected. It’s a much, much, much higher rejection rate than private plans." Despite these challenges, he praised the CDCP as a significant improvement, noting that many people who previously could not afford dental care are now receiving it.

Mark Johnson, a spokesperson for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, indicated that many denials stemmed from incomplete submissions. He explained that when these incomplete requests were excluded, the rejection rate dropped from 52 percent to 38 percent. Common reasons for denial included incomplete submissions, requests not meeting clinical criteria, duplicate submissions, or services not covered under the plan.

Additionally, a backlog caused by technical issues and a high volume of submissions contributed to delays in preauthorization. However, as of July 11, Johnson reported that 80 percent of preauthorization requests are now processed within seven days.

The CDCP saw a surge in applicants when it expanded in June, with over a million new sign-ups and nearly 95,000 individuals receiving care. Natalie Marsh, vice-president of the Canadian Dental Assistants Association and a dental assistant in North Sydney, N.S., described the plan as "wonderful" but noted it has placed a strain on some dental providers. She remarked, "You’re seeing people who haven’t seen a dentist in a long time. So they’re coming in with a lot of work to be done."