General information for our patients, not a diagnosis. What suits your mouth is decided by examining it.
Does the Canadian Dental Care Plan cover dentures?
For eligible patients, yes — complete dentures, partials in acrylic and cast metal, and the upkeep afterwards. We bill the CDCP directly and handle the plan’s paperwork for you.
| Service | How often the plan pays |
|---|---|
| Complete dentures | Once per jaw every 8 years |
| Partial dentures — cast metal | Once per jaw every 8 years |
| Partial dentures — acrylic | Once per jaw every 5 years |
| Relines and rebases | Once per jaw every 2 years |
| Repairs and additions | Once per jaw every 12 months |
Approval before treatment. Every first partial denture must be approved by the plan before work starts, and the request needs x-rays of the teeth the denture will clasp onto. We run that request as the first step and tell you what the plan has agreed before anything is made.
What you pay. The plan covers a share and you may cover the rest, depending on your household income. We check your coverage and put the numbers in writing first. Full eligibility rules and income bands are on the Canadian Dental Care Plan page.
Dentist or denturist — who can make dentures in Ontario?
Denturists are regulated by the College of Denturists of Ontario. They may assess arches missing some or all of their teeth, and design, build, repair, alter and fit removable dentures. That includes partials. No dentist’s sign-off is needed. It is a proper route and plenty of people take it.
Dentists are regulated by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario. They may do all of that, and additionally examine the whole mouth, take and read x-rays, diagnose disease, treat the teeth and gums you still have, remove teeth, and prescribe medication.
That is a difference of licence, not of skill. Which one suits you turns on a single question: does anything else in your mouth need attention?
A denture replaces teeth. It does not treat what took them
A denture fills the space where teeth were. It does nothing about the decay or gum disease that caused the loss, and those carry on in whatever teeth remain. A partial clasps onto your own teeth to stay put, so those teeth trap more plaque and need watching more closely, not less.
Underneath, the mouth keeps changing. The ridge of gum and bone shrinks, remaining teeth drift, and the bite alters. That is why a denture that fitted two years ago can stop sitting properly.
The plan takes this seriously. Before it funds a partial, the CDCP requires basic treatment to be finished — decay controlled, gum and root infection controlled, broken clasp teeth repaired. Here that stays in one place: same examination, same x-rays, same person watching how the rest of your mouth changes around the denture.
If you have private insurance instead
The two do not overlap. Access to private dental coverage makes you ineligible for the CDCP — even if you never use the private plan. It is one route or the other.
Private plans vary. Covering part of the cost with a share left for you is common, but not universal. We bill private insurers and the CDCP directly, and we will tell you what your plan allows before treatment starts.
What a denture gives back, and what to expect
Most people come for four things: chewing a wider range of food, the look of a complete smile, clearer speech, and support for the lips and cheeks. The other side matters too — a denture is not a natural tooth. You bite with less force, some foods stay difficult, and there is a real settling-in period.
- The examination. The ridge, the gums, any remaining teeth, and how your jaws meet. Bring your current denture and any old spare — how a previous one failed tells us a great deal.
- Impressions, then a try-in where you see the teeth set up before anything is finalised.
- The fit and a review. Sore spots in the first weeks are normal and usually need a short adjustment — come in rather than filing it at home.
- After extractions. A denture can be made in advance and fitted at the same visit as having a tooth removed. Gums shrink as they heal, so one made that way needs a reline at around six to nine months. That is expected, not a fault.
Repair, reline, or replace?
- Repairs are for a denture that has cracked or lost a tooth. Bring every fragment, and please do not glue it — household glue sets the pieces out of line and has to be cut out first.
- Relines and rebases are for one that is sound in itself but no longer matches a mouth that has changed shape.
- Replacement is for one whose fit or wear cannot be corrected.
A loose denture can usually be improved once we know why it loosened. The cause may be the denture, your mouth, or both — and the same symptom has very different answers.
Common questions
How much does the CDCP cover for dentures?
It pays a share of the amounts it sets, and how large that share is depends on your household income. We check your coverage and put the numbers in writing before starting.
Are partial dentures covered?
Yes — acrylic and cast metal, once per jaw every five and eight years respectively. A first partial needs the plan’s approval before treatment, and we handle that.
I already have a partial I paid for myself. Does that count against me?
No. The plan does not count a partial obtained outside it, so you may still be eligible.
This guide is part of our Adult Patient Information library. Call 705-721-9229 or book online — online booking covers new patient visits and emergency examinations.
