How this calculator works
The interim Canada Dental Benefit closed on June 30, 2024. This page keeps the final published amounts for reference and points to the 2026 Canadian Dental Care Plan. The benefit was a tax-free federal payment, not dental insurance. It paid up to two payments per child under 12 who had no private dental insurance, for dental care between October 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024. The amount depended on adjusted family net income: $650 for income under $70,000, $390 for income from $70,000 to $79,999, and $260 for income from $80,000 to $89,999. No benefit was paid at $90,000 or more. Benefit period 1 covered care from October 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, and period 2 covered care from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. A family had to have filed its tax return to have the income verified. The Canadian Dental Care Plan now provides coverage for eligible residents; it is a separate program with cost sharing, not a cash payment. Out of scope: Canadian Dental Care Plan eligibility and copayments, provincial dental programs, private insurance, the child's age test, the attestation that the child had no private coverage, and the two-payment limit per child. Canada differs from the United States here: the payment was a federal cash benefit per child, not private dental insurance or a state Medicaid dental program.
Formula
Per-child benefit = $650 if adjusted family net income is under $70,000, $390 if it is from $70,000 to $79,999, $260 if it is from $80,000 to $89,999, and $0 at $90,000 or more. Total benefit = per-child benefit x number of eligible children.
Worked example
With adjusted family net income of $75,000 and two eligible children, each child qualifies for $390, so the total is $780 for the benefit period. At $60,000, two children would receive $650 each, or $1,300. At $85,000, three children would receive $260 each, or $780. At $90,000, the benefit is zero.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Canada Dental Benefit end?
The interim Canada Dental Benefit closed on June 30, 2024. The last benefit period covered dental care from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, and new applications are no longer accepted.
How much was the Canada Dental Benefit per child?
The payment was $650 per child for adjusted family net income under $70,000, $390 for income from $70,000 to $79,999, and $260 for income from $80,000 to $89,999. Families at $90,000 or more received nothing.
Can I still apply for the Canada Dental Benefit?
No. The benefit is closed. The Canadian Dental Care Plan is the current federal dental program and has its own eligibility rules and cost sharing, but it does not pay the same cash amount per child.
Does the Canada Dental Benefit depend on the number of children?
Yes. The payment was made for each eligible child under 12, so the total was the per-child amount multiplied by the number of eligible children, up to two payments per child across the two benefit periods.