Cabinet ‘Underestimated’ How Many Canadians Would Sign Up For Federal Dental Plan: Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland arrive to deliver the budget in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 28, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

Cabinet “underestimated” how many Canadians would sign up for the recently announced federal dental-care insurance plan, which is why the government said in the 2023 budget that the plan will probably cost $7 billion more than the original estimate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.

Speaking to reporters in Val-d’Or, Quebec, on April 3, Trudeau addressed added costs in the budget regarding the Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Tabled on March 28, the budget estimates that the new federally administered dental insurance program will cost more than double over the next five years than originally thought.

Ottawa previously budgeted $6 billion for the program, but now estimates it will cost around $13 billion over the next five years.

Furthermore, it also projects ongoing expenses beyond those years will cost more than double, going from $1.7 billion annually up to $4.4 billion per year.

Trudeau was asked by reporters to explain why the estimated costs have more than doubled and also whether he anticipates them to rise even further.

“The increase in the cost of dental care is due to the fact that we underestimated the need in Canada for families to send their kids to see a dentist,” he responded in French, adding, “In a rich country like Canada it’s not right for everyone not to have dental care.”

The dental care program was one of the conditions NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh demanded of the Liberals when the two parties entered into a supply-and-confidence agreement in March 2022.

The government says it will begin rolling out the program by the end of this year and plans to fully implement it by 2025.

Dental Care Costs

As of this year, the dental program will be available to uninsured Canadians under 18, persons with disabilities, and seniors who have an annual family income of less than $90,000.

By 2025, the government plans to extend the program to cover all uninsured Canadians who have an annual family income under $90,000, regardless of their age.

The 2023 budget also includes other costs related to providing universal dental care, such as a proposed $250 million investment over three years starting in 2025 to establish an “Oral Health Access Fund.”

Ottawa says the fund will be intended to complement the Canadian Dental Care Plan by addressing “oral health gaps among vulnerable populations.”

The government has also proposed investing just over $23 million over the next two years to fund data collection programs focused on dental care and oral health across Canada.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.