Who can help pay for my dental care?

Adjusted family net income (AFNI) is the income measure CDCP uses for co-payments. It comes from your tax return information, with adjustments defined by the Canada Revenue Agency. It is not the same as gross salary alone.

CDCP reimburses a percentage of CDCP-established fees based on your AFNI tier: 100%, 60%, or 40% of those fees in the published brackets. Your share is the remaining percentage of that fee schedule, not necessarily of your dentist’s full bill.

Not always. CDCP covers eligible services up to its established fees. If your dentist charges more, or if a service is not covered, you may pay the difference yourself.

In many cases yes, but billing order and rules differ by province and program. Some programs coordinate as secondary coverage after CDCP; others do not coordinate. Use the coordination section and official provincial sources for your situation.

CDCP is intended for people without access to private dental coverage. If you have private insurance through work, school, or a family plan, you may not be eligible for CDCP.

You can review line 23600 family net income and CDCP guidance on Canada.ca, or contact the CRA if you need help understanding your notice of assessment. You can still use this guide with your best estimate and confirm before applying.

Providers can choose whether to bill CDCP. Ask whether they accept CDCP, what fees apply, and what you may owe before treatment. Sun Life publishes CDCP provider information linked from Canada.ca.