The Canadian Dental Care Plan For Children: A Sustainable Approach?

This study aims to assess the essential dental services that children should have access to and evaluate whether the newly launched federal Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), in May 2024, meets these needs. A cross-sectional survey was electronically administered in November 2023 to certified Canadian pediatric dentists to determine the normative oral health needs of Canadian children and the services that should be included in the CDCP’s basket of services. As the CDCP released dental services grids, the responses were compared to assess alignment and identify gaps. Of the 297 pediatric dentists surveyed, 109 responded. The respondents were thorough in their approach, selecting a full range of primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive services, and giving equal importance to deciduous and permanent teeth. While their perceptions largely aligned with the CDCP grids, several gaps were also identified, including the absence of services such as mouthguards, preformed zirconia crowns, space maintainers, smoking cessation counseling, oral hygiene instruction, and nutritional counseling. The CDCP dental service grids largely align with pediatric dentists' recommendations for restorative services (secondary and tertiary prevention). However, they fall short in addressing primary prevention, missing an opportunity to build a sustainable oral health care system that addresses not only current needs but also future burdens.