Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP)
We are an official CDCP provider. The plan covers a large share of your denture costs — for most patients, not all of it. We explain the co-payment plainly and give you your exact balance in writing before we begin.
What we handle for you
You do not need to become an expert in the paperwork. That part is ours.
Pre-authorization
Major work — new complete or partial dentures — usually needs approval first. We examine you, submit the treatment plan to Sun Life and wait for the confirmation before starting.
Direct billing
We bill the plan directly. You are not paying the whole amount up front and waiting on a reimbursement cheque.
A written number, up front
Once coverage is confirmed we give you the exact balance in writing. No surprise invoice at the end.
The same clinical process
Intraoral scanning, CAD design and CNC milling in our own lab. Your coverage does not change how your denture is made.
Yes, there is usually a co-payment. Here is exactly why.
The CDCP is a real help, and we are glad to be a provider. But it does not make dentures free for most people, and we would rather you hear that from us now than at the end of your appointment.
There are two separate things that decide what you pay. The first is your household income, which sets whether the plan covers 100%, 60% or 40% of the CDCP fee schedule. The second catches almost everyone by surprise: the CDCP fee schedule pays less than the provincial denturist fee guide. So even at the top coverage tier, the plan does not pay the full cost of the work.
We charge the fee guide, and we collect the balance. In practice that means most CDCP patients here pay roughly 30% of the cost of their dentures. You will be told your exact number in writing, before any work starts.
We could have chosen the other route — build to whatever the plan happens to pay for. We are not willing to. Every denture we make is designed and CNC-milled in our own lab, the same process for a CDCP patient as for anyone else. That costs what it costs, and quietly cutting the quality to hit the plan's number would be a worse deal for you than an honest co-payment.
If the co-payment is genuinely out of reach
Talk to Damien. If you are living with a real disability or simply cannot find the balance, say so — quietly, at your consultation, with no need to justify yourself. There is discretion here and it does get used. What we ask is that you ask, rather than going without teeth.
CDCP questions we get asked most
Does the CDCP cover dentures completely?
For most patients, no. Your household income sets whether the plan pays 100%, 60% or 40% of the CDCP fee schedule — and that schedule pays less than the provincial denturist fee guide, so there is normally a balance even at the highest tier. At Dentures Direct that balance is typically around 30% of the cost. You will be given your exact figure in writing before treatment begins.
Why do you charge a co-payment when some clinics say they do not?
A clinic that collects nothing beyond the plan has to build to what the plan pays. We design and CNC-mill every denture in our own lab and we use the same process regardless of how you are paying. We would rather charge an honest balance than quietly reduce what you are getting.
Does the CDCP cover implant dentures?
The plan does not cover implant surgery. It may cover part of the denture component depending on your eligibility, and the rules are still evolving — call us and we will check what applies to your situation rather than have you guess.
What if I cannot afford the co-payment?
Raise it with Damien at your consultation. Where there is genuine hardship or disability there is discretion, and it is used. Please ask rather than going without.
Do I need to apply before I come in?
Yes — apply through the federal government and wait for your Sun Life member card. Once you have it, bring it to your appointment and we take over from there.
Will you tell me the cost before you start?
Always, and in writing. We submit your treatment plan for pre-authorization, confirm what the plan will pay, and give you the balance before any work begins.