Do kids get free dental care in Ontario?

Good oral health is important for everyone at any age, but in kids, cavities and gum disease can lead to serious infections, affecting the growth of adult teeth. Toothache can result in loss of sleep, affect a child’s ability to eat, and can also affect their ability to learn and attend school. With Healthy Smiles Ontario you can prevent your child’s oral health problems before they start.

Healthy Smiles Ontario

Healthy Smiles Ontario is a free dental program for eligible children and youth 17 and under.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the program, children and youth 17 and under:

• Should be residents of Ontario
• Should be members of a household that meets the income eligibility requirements
• Should not have other dental insurance coverage

Children and youth 17 and under are automatically eligible and automatically enrolled in Healthy Smiles Ontario when they or their family receive: Ontario Works, Temporary Care Assistance, the Ontario Disability Support Program or Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities.

Once enrolled, children will receive a Healthy Smiles Ontario dental card and will receive dental coverage for:

• Up to one benefit year (August 1st to July 31st), or
• 12 months from the date of enrolment for those enrolled for emergency and essential care, or
• Up to their 18th birthday.

Most Children and youth 17 and under enrolled in Healthy Smiles Ontario will be automatically re-assessed each benefit year and annual notices about their enrollment status will be sent by mail.

What does Healthy Smiles Ontario cover?

Healthy Smiles Ontario provides routine, preventive, emergency, and essential dental care such as:

• Examinations/assessments
• Radiographs (X-rays)
• Preventive Services
• Restorative Services
• Endodontic Services
• Periodontal Services
• Prosthodontic Services
• Oral Surgery Services
• Anaesthesia

To see the type of exam and frequency of coverage visit:

https://www.ontario.ca/page/services-covered-by-healthy-smiles-ontario

Healthy Smiles Ontario does not cover cosmetic or aesthetic services such as teeth whitening or dental implants.

Canada Dental Benefit for kids under 12

Good news – a national dental-care benefit is now law.

This new federal government dental plan for uninsured Canadians aims to provide dental care coverage for middle-income and low-income Canadians. The Canada Dental Benefit is being phased in over 3 years, starting on Dec. 1, 2022 with children under the age of 12.

The Liberals have promised that the program will expand to under-18-year-olds, seniors, and people living with a disability in 2023. By 2025, it would be available to all Canadian families with incomes of less than $90,000 annually, with no co-pays for anyone earning less than $70,000 annually.

The interim Canada Dental Benefit is intended to help lower dental costs for eligible families earning less than $90,000 per year. Parents and guardians can apply if the child receiving dental care is under 12 years old and does not have access to a private dental insurance plan.

Depending on your adjusted family net income, a tax-free payment of $260, $390, or $650 is available for each eligible child. This interim dental benefit is only available for 2 periods. You can get a maximum of 2 payments for each eligible child. Benefit payments are administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

The first benefit period is for children under 12 years old as of December 1, 2022 who receive dental care between October 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.