Canadian Dental Care Plan Costs Exceed Projections by $1.1 Billion, Auditor General Finds
A new audit reveals the Canadian Dental Care Plan has reduced out-of-pocket costs for members but is running significantly over budget, with persistent confusion among patients and providers and wide regional disparities in uptake.
The Canadian Dental Care Plan has improved access to affordable dental care for eligible residents, but payments have exceeded initial budget commitments by $1.1 billion across the 2024-25 and 2025-26 fiscal years, according to a report by Auditor General Karen Hogan. 
The Office of the Chief Actuary forecasts a further shortfall of approximately $2.4 billion in total for the annual cost of providing oral care from 2026-27 to 2031-32.
Despite the financial strain, the program has lowered expenses for participants. Canadians using the plan paid an average of $264 in out-of-pocket expenses, compared to $536 paid by households in 2023. About 560,000 plan members, representing 16 per cent of those who accessed services in 2025, had their procedures fully covered.
As of March 31, 2026, 6.9 million of the 10.5 million eligible Canadians had registered for the plan, and 4.2 million had submitted claims. However, uptake rates varied significantly by region. Ontario recorded the highest utilization rate at 65 per cent, followed by Saskatchewan at 52 per cent. In the territories, utilization was markedly lower: Yukon stood at 45 per cent, the Northwest Territories at 25 per cent, and Nunavut at nine per cent.
Hogan stated that 61,000 children in care across the country currently cannot access the program.
The audit also highlighted persistent confusion among dental providers and patients regarding program details. Health Canada received almost 800,000 calls between March 2025 and February 2026 asking how the program works. A survey of 5,000 dental care providers found that one-third considered information about the plan hard to find, and providers spent an average of one hour daily explaining the plan to patients.
Additionally, a Health Canada survey analyzing 180 calls determined that only two-thirds met required service metrics.