Renewals
CDCP coverage does not renew automatically. It runs for one benefit year at a time, and you must actively renew each year to keep it. If you do not renew, your coverage ends — and treatment during a gap is not covered and will not be reimbursed later.
The benefit-year cycle
Each benefit year runs from 1 July to 30 June. For the 2026–2027 benefit year, the renewal window ran from 15 April to 1 June 2026, and coverage for that year runs from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. The pattern repeats: file your taxes, receive your Notice of Assessment, renew in the spring window, and coverage continues into the new benefit year on 1 July. Renewing by the June deadline is what prevents a gap; the deadline is not the end of your coverage, it is the last safe date to renew without one.
What you need to renew
- Your tax return for the most recent year, filed in Canada, for you and your spouse or common-law partner if applicable.
- Your Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency — you cannot renew until it has been processed.
- Confirmation that you still have no access to private dental insurance.
- Your CDCP member details and current contact information.
How to renew
Renew through My Service Canada Account, through the online CDCP service on Canada.ca/dental, or by phone at 1-833-537-4342 (TTY: 1-833-677-6262). The renewal asks you to re-attest to your income and insurance status. If you remain eligible, you keep the same member ID. Note that your co-payment tier can change after renewal if your family income moved into a different tier, and frequency limits do not reset just because a new benefit year begins when your member ID stays the same.
If you miss the deadline
If you miss the renewal deadline, your coverage ends on 30 June. You can submit a new application for the current benefit year, but there will be a processing delay, and any dental care you receive in the gap will not be covered or reimbursed retroactively. That is the single most expensive mistake in the CDCP: a routine renewal takes a short time, while a gap can leave you paying the full cost of urgent treatment. Set a reminder for April, file your taxes early, and renew as soon as your Notice of Assessment arrives.
Renewal checklist, in order
1. File your tax return early in the year. 2. Wait for your Notice of Assessment. 3. Confirm your income is still under $90,000 and you still have no access to dental insurance. 4. Renew online or by phone before the June deadline. 5. Check that your contact details are current so renewal notices reach you. 6. Keep your member card — your ID stays the same if you renew on time.
Changes during the year
If your situation changes mid-year — for example, you gain access to dental insurance through a new job — your eligibility can change at the next renewal, and you should check the current rules on Canada.ca rather than assuming coverage continues unchanged. Similarly, if your income rises above $90,000, you will not qualify at the next assessment. The plan is reassessed annually, not once for life.
Photo credits: de22.jpg — Wall clock (CC0); de23.jpg — Pendulum clock (CC0); de24.jpg — Rideau Canal, Ottawa (CC BY-SA 4.0) All photos via Wikimedia Commons under the licences noted.