How to Find Affordable Dental Insurance in Canada
To find affordable dental insurance in Canada, start by determining how much coverage you need.
The most affordable dental coverage isn’t necessarily the plan with the cheapest price tag. It’s better to think of affordability as the best price for the highest amount of coverage you’ll actually use.
To target affordability, you need to look at a few important parts of each plan:
- Premiums
- Reimbursement rates
- Deductibles
- Annual and lifetime maximums
- Exclusions
A plan that costs $50/month but only reimburses 50% of the cost of each procedure and includes limited coverage for other healthcare costs may be less affordable in the long run than a plan that costs 20% more but reimburses 80% or more of the cost of care with a high annual maximum.
Remember: Most private dental insurance plans in Canada are also health insurance plans. To find affordable dental coverage, you’ll also need to evaluate your health coverage needs and consider what you’re currently spending on services not covered by provincial health care.
Check your eligibility for low-cost dental care through the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP)
If your household made less than $90,000 last year, you may qualify for full or partial coverage of most dental procedures through the CDCP.
Before you compare private dental insurance products, take a minute to check your eligibility for federal coverage of dental services through the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). You may be eligible if:
- You’re a Canadian resident for tax purposes and filed your tax return in Canada last year
- Your net adjusted household income is less than $90,000
Depending on your income, you may receive reimbursement for between 60% and 100% of the cost of a wide range of oral health care services, from routine check-ups, fluoride treatments, and x-rays to major services like tooth extractions, dentures, root canals, and periodontal (gum) care.
The CDCP does not include orthodontic coverage.
The best affordable dental insurance plans in Canada
Canadians with no access to a group plan for dental benefits and who don’t qualify for the CDCP can get affordable dental insurance through a private health care plan.
The table below compares five of the most affordable private health and dental insurance plans on the Canadian market right now. Take careful note—to help you estimate affordability, we’re showing:
- Monthly premiums: This is the dollar amount adults aged 18–44 will pay, on average, for this policy (rates vary by age and province).
- Total annual coverage: This is the maximum the plan will pay out per year for all coverage, not just dental treatments.
- Cost per coverage dollar: This figure compares the actual affordability of each plan by dividing the total annual premium by the total amount of coverage.
* Premiums reflect the approximate monthly cost for an 18-year-old adult living in Canada.
Winner: Comprehensive coverage
Dental Care by PolicyMe
PolicyMe’s Dental Care earns the top spot in our ranking of comprehensive dental insurance plans with an average cost of 5 cents per dollar of coverage.
Highlights
Disadvantages
Best alternatives
If you like the high coverage level and affordability of PolicyMe’s Dental Care plan but need more coverage for high-cost services, consider PolicyMe’s Advanced plan (which covers orthodontics) or Manulife’s DentalPlus plans.
Winner: Basic coverage
Personal Health Insurance Basic Plan by Sun Life
If you’re looking for a low-cost plan to meet basic dental needs, Sun Life’s bare-bones Personal Health Insurance Basic Plan comes in at just 4 cents per dollar of annual coverage.
Highlights
Disadvantages
Best alternatives
If you’re in search of the cheapest dental insurance possible, GreenShield’s ZONE 2 (Primary) and GMS’s BasicPlan with Dental Care are both worth looking at.
3 steps to choose an affordable dental insurance plan
Before you start looking at health and dental insurance quotes, ask yourself the following questions. They’ll help to guide you toward the most affordable—though not necessarily the cheapest—plan.
- What dental services do I need coverage for? If you need dental insurance to offset the high cost of major procedures like crowns, bridgework, oral surgery, or orthodontics, you’re going to be looking at a higher tier of health plan—likely starting around $120/month or more. Basic plans focused on routine preventive care, on the other hand, could start well below $100/month.
- Is dental insurance my only healthcare priority? Dental plans typically don’t come as standalone offerings, so think about your other healthcare costs. Do you need prescription drug coverage, paramedical coverage, mental health care, or vision benefits? These can guide your affordability search.
- How much am I spending right now? Calculate your total out-of-pocket spending in the last 12 months on things private health and dental insurance would cover—cleanings, fillings, dentures, but also paramedical services, eye exams, medical equipment, and more.
Common myths about affordable dental insurance
There’s no shortage of misinformation about affordable dental insurance, so let’s separate the myths from the facts.
Myth: “It’s always cheaper to pay cash”
The truth: Buying private dental insurance could save Canadians an average of $486 per year in out-of-pocket dental expenses, but those with very low dental spending might not save as much.
Let’s break it down: If you only get one or two dental cleanings per year and have no personal or family history of major dental issues, you’re probably better off paying cash at your provider’s office rather than investing in a private dental plan.
But dental insurance addresses two categories of dental expenses: the routine bills that can add up quickly if you have multiple household members or ongoing oral health problems, and the unexpected major bills that can come with an unplanned root canal, oral surgery, or crown. Consider both costs as you’re weighing whether or not dental insurance is right for you.
Myth: “Low premiums mean bad coverage”
The truth: Bad coverage is coverage that doesn’t meet your actual healthcare needs, regardless of cost.
Let’s break it down: Low health insurance premiums don’t automatically mean bad coverage. Some dental plans pair bad coverage with low premiums; some plans deliver excellent coverage at surprisingly affordable rates.
The best way to determine whether a low dental insurance quote is going to deliver buyer’s remorse down the line is to compare premiums with total coverage—and see how that coverage aligns with your actual healthcare usage. A plan that includes high amounts of coverage you don’t expect to use may not be the best deal.
Myth: “Low premiums mean bigger savings”
The truth: Cheap dental plans often have low reimbursement rates, leaving you with higher out-of-pocket costs.
Let’s break it down: When calculating the cost of any health or dental insurance plan, you can’t just look at what you’ll pay for the coverage. You also need to consider the costs you’ll be left with.
Take our two winning plans above. PolicyMe’s Dental Care costs $52 per month more than the Sun Life plan—nearly double the cost. Over the course of a year, the Sun Life plan would save you $624 in premiums alone.
But when it comes to actually reimbursing the cost of dental care, it’s a different story. PolicyMe’s plan covers 80% of the cost of routine preventive care, with an annual maximum of $750 in year 1. Sun Life’s annual maximum is $500 with only 60% reimbursement. In other words, your out-of-pocket costs double with Sun Life’s plan.
Your dental insurance premiums are fixed for the year, but your dental needs are not. If you’re faced with major unexpected dental costs (like a broken tooth or root canal), you’d pay the full amount out of pocket with Sun Life’s policy, while PolicyMe’s plan might reimburse up to 60% of your costs, depending on your plan year.
The most affordable dental insurance is the plan that matches your coverage to your real-life dental needs at the lowest possible cost per dollar of coverage.
FAQ: Affordable dental insurance
Prices listed on this page are based on information available as of January 2026. The prices shown are for general reference only and may vary based on factors like your age, location, and product selection.