Oral health and access to care before the Canadian Dental Care Plan: Summary of results
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Background
In December 2023, the Government of Canada launched the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). The plan is helping make the cost of dental care more affordable for eligible Canadian residents with an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000.
This report explores the connections between income and oral health in the context of Canada's evolving oral health landscape before the CDCP was available to help pay for oral health care. It compares oral health estimates from two recent national surveys, the Canadian Oral Health Survey (COHS) and the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), to better understand changes in oral health and access to care over time. This data can be used to:
- monitor the impact of the CDCP
- support oral health professionals, governments, researchers and other dental stakeholders in addressing gaps in oral health care
- help Canada further engage in the World Health Organization's 2023–2030 Global Oral Health Action Plan
Full report
Explore Bridging the gap: A look at oral health and access to care in Canada before the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
Examine differences in dental insurance coverage, access to care and self-reported oral health across income groups and population characteristics from 2018 to 2024.
Key findings
People with low incomes face greater barriers in accessing oral health care, and experience poorer oral health outcomes than those with high incomes.
Dental insurance or coverage was lower among those with incomes less than $90,000
Prior to the CDCP, nearly one-third (31%) of people in Canada did not have insurance to cover any of their dental expenses. People with family incomes under $90,000 (42%) were two times more likely to be uninsured, compared to those with incomes of $90,000 or more (18%).
Lack of dental insurance or coverage was more common among:
- seniors
- persons with disabilities
- people with low incomes
- people living in rural areas
Cost was a major barrier to dental care
Between 2018 and 2024, avoidance of dental visits due to cost increased among individuals with family incomes under $90,000 (29% to 34%) and remained similar among those with family incomes of $90,000 or more (13% to 12%).
Longer gaps between dental visits
People with low incomes reported greater delays in accessing dental care, with more than a third (39%) not having seen an oral health professional in over a year, compared with 20% of those with high incomes.
Impact on seniors
The largest income gap in dental care use was observed among seniors aged 80 and older. Between 2018 and 2024, this gap remained, as visits to an oral health professional decreased among seniors with low incomes (50% to 47%) and high incomes (75% to 72%).
Oral health outcomes
Compared with the overall Canadian population, people who could become eligible for the CDCP reported poorer oral health, including higher rates of:
- persistent mouth pain (30% versus 22%)
- avoiding eating certain foods (26% versus 16%)