Many retirees we see from Royal Oak, Sherwood, Scenic Acres and Arbour Lake may be able to use two programs: the federal Canadian Dental Care Plan and Alberta’s Dental Assistance for Seniors. Used together, they can lower what you pay for check-ups, fillings and dentures. This guide covers who qualifies for each, what each one pays for, and how we bill them at our clinic.
Do seniors qualify for the CDCP?
Age isn’t one of the CDCP’s requirements. You qualify if you meet all four of them: no access to private dental insurance, a tax return filed in Canada, adjusted family net income under $90,000, and Canadian residency for tax purposes.
Pension dental plans are where most seniors get caught. If your pension plan offers dental coverage, that counts as access even if you don’t use it or don’t enrol. There’s one exception: if you retired and opted out of your pension’s dental coverage before December 11, 2023, and you can’t opt back in, you may still qualify. Opting out after that date doesn’t count.
Your T4A slip helps. Box 015 shows a code: 1 means your pension plan reported no access to dental coverage, and codes 2 to 5 mean coverage was offered. Check your spouse’s slips too, because their plan can give you access. Coverage through a government program, like Alberta’s seniors program, doesn’t disqualify you.
Alberta’s Dental Assistance for Seniors
Alberta’s Dental and Optical Assistance for Seniors program pays for basic dental care for lower-income seniors. To qualify you must be:
- 65 or older
- an Alberta resident for at least 3 months before applying, and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- approved for Alberta’s Seniors Financial Assistance programs
For the 2026-27 benefit year (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), Alberta uses your 2025 income. The limit is $32,690 for a single senior and $65,380 for a senior couple. The program pays up to $5,000 every five years, and money you don’t use doesn’t carry over.
| Alberta’s seniors program covers | It doesn’t cover |
| Exams and X-rays | Crowns |
| Preventive care | Fixed bridges |
| Fillings and extractions | Dental implants |
| Root canals | Fluoride treatment |
| Gum disease treatment | Whitening and cosmetic work |
| Basic full and partial dentures | Braces and orthodontics |
You don’t apply for the dental part separately. If you’ve applied for Seniors Financial Assistance, that application covers it. For coverage and claims questions, call Alberta Blue Cross at 1-800-661-6995. For questions about your income assessment, call the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992.
Using the CDCP and the Alberta program together
If you have both, the claim for any service both plans cover goes to the CDCP first. The Alberta program can then cover eligible costs that are left over, such as part of your CDCP co-payment, up to its $5,000 five-year limit.
The two plans don’t cover the same things, so the overlap isn’t complete. The CDCP covers crowns with preauthorization, but the Alberta program doesn’t cover crowns, so it won’t pick up your share of a crown. The CDCP covers fluoride, which the Alberta program doesn’t. For dentures, fillings, extractions, root canals and cleanings, both can apply.
At Avyan we bill Sun Life for the CDCP and Alberta Blue Cross for the seniors program, and we don’t charge seniors extra. If you’re at the CDCP’s 0% co-payment level, we accept the CDCP fee as payment in full for covered services. At the 40% or 60% levels, we’ll show you what each plan pays and what’s left before treatment starts. Our co-pay guide has worked examples, and our direct billing page explains the process.
Dentures and the CDCP
Dentures are where seniors use their coverage most. The CDCP covers standard and temporary complete dentures, plus denture repairs, relines and rebases. Partial dentures and immediate dentures need preauthorization first, and our front desk sends that request to Sun Life for you.
Dr. Manisha Chauhan plans and fits complete and partial dentures at our clinic, and they’re made by a dental lab. We don’t offer implant-retained or snap-in dentures. See our dentures page for how fittings and adjustments work.
Implants and crowns
Dental implants aren’t on the CDCP’s list of covered services on canada.ca, and Alberta’s seniors program excludes them, so plan on paying for an implant privately. Bridges aren’t covered by either plan. Crowns are covered by the CDCP with preauthorization (up to four in total over 10 years, in our experience with Sun Life), but not by the Alberta program. If you’re weighing a crown, bridge or implant, we’ll give you a written estimate first. We take Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Interac and cash, and offer financing in-office or through iFinance.
Comfortable visits for seniors
If dental visits make you anxious, we offer nitrous oxide and Calaject, a computer-assisted system for giving freezing more gently. See sedation dentistry. The clinic is in the Royal Vista plaza with free parking. We have daytime appointments Monday to Friday and Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm, and our team speaks English, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and Arabic. If you’re bringing a grandchild too, we can book you back to back. Our CDCP guide for kids covers their side.
Questions about your application?
Your dental office can’t see or change your CDCP application. To apply, renew or check your status, use canada.ca/dental or call Service Canada at 1-833-537-4342. For your member card, coverage start date or claims, call the Sun Life CDCP Contact Centre at 1-888-888-8110.
Book your visit in NW Calgary
Avyan Family Dental is at 4 Royal Vista Way NW, Suite 2160, in Royal Oak. Read more about using the CDCP at our clinic, then book online or call (587) 358-2160. Bring your CDCP member ID and, if you have it, your Alberta Blue Cross card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can seniors get the CDCP?
Yes. Age isn’t a requirement. You need no access to private dental insurance, a filed tax return, adjusted family net income under $90,000 and Canadian residency for tax purposes.
Can I use the CDCP with Alberta’s Dental Assistance for Seniors?
Yes. For services both plans cover, the claim goes to the CDCP first, and the Alberta program can cover eligible costs that are left, up to $5,000 every five years. We bill both directly and don’t charge seniors extra.
Does the CDCP cover dentures?
Yes. Standard and temporary complete dentures are covered, along with repairs, relines and rebases. Partial dentures and immediate dentures need preauthorization from the plan first, and our front desk handles that request.
Does the CDCP cover dental implants?
Implants aren’t on the CDCP’s list of covered services, and Alberta’s seniors program doesn’t cover them either. We give you a written estimate before any implant treatment.
Do I need to renew the CDCP every year?
Yes. CDCP coverage runs by benefit year, from July 1 to June 30, and you renew each year to stay covered. Check canada.ca/dental for the current renewal dates.
What if my pension plan offers dental coverage?
Then you generally don’t qualify, even if you don’t use it. The exception is a retiree who opted out of pension dental coverage before December 11, 2023 and can’t opt back in.