About the program
The Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program (OSDCP) is a government-funded dental care program. It provides free, routine dental services for low-income seniors who are 65years of age or older.
Coverage includes:
- check-ups, including scaling, fluoride and polishing
- repairing broken teeth and cavities
- x-rays
- removing teeth or abnormal tissue(oral surgery)
- anesthesia
- treating infection and pain (endodontic services)
- treating gum conditions and diseases (periodontal services)
Certain dental procedures under the OSDCP have limits based on scientific and clinical criteria; your OSDCP dental provider can provide more information based on your situation.
Dentures
Dental prosthetics (prosthodontic services), including dentures, will be partially covered. Please speak to your local public health unit for more information.
Coverage period
Once you are enrolled in the program, your coverage period is for up to one year.
Your coverage will end on July31st every year, no matter when you enroll. Learn more about renewing your yearly coverage.
Eligibility
You can apply for the program if you:
- are 65years of age or older
- are a resident of Ontario
- meet the income requirements:
- an annual net income of$25,000 or less for a single senior
- a combined annual net income of$41,500 or less for a couple
- have no other form of dental benefits, apart from the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), including private insurance or dental coverage under another government program such as:
- Ontario Works
- Ontario Disability Support Program
- Non-Insured Health Benefits
You may qualify for the CDCP and may still be eligible for the OSDCP provided you meet the eligibility criteria.
We will verify your income using your Social Insurance Number (SIN), that you will provide when you apply to the program. We will use your SIN to verify your annual new income from your tax return. Learn how you can apply if you don’t have a SIN.
How to apply
You can apply to the program online or by mail.
If you and your spouse or common-law partner are applying to the program, you must submit two separate applications.
Before you begin the online application, you need:
- your date of birth
- a valid Ontario address
- your Social Insurance Number (SIN) or Temporary Taxation Number (TTN)
- to have filed your taxes last year
If you do not have a SIN or did not file taxes in the previous year, please complete the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program application through guarantor form.
Apply online
There are two ways to apply online to the program:
- Complete the online application and provide the applicable eSignature(s).
- Complete the online application and print, fill out and mail in the consent form. The completed consent form should be mailed within 30days to:
Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program
StationP, P.O. Box159
Toronto, Ontario
M5S2S7
Apply by mail
To apply by mail:
- Download and print the application form, or get one in person from your local public health unit.
- Fill out and complete the application form.
- Mail the completed form to:
Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program
StationP, P.O. Box159
Toronto, Ontario
M5S2S7
If you don’t have a SIN or did not file a tax return
If you don’t have a SIN or didn’t file your taxes last year, a guarantor must help you apply by mail.
A guarantor is someone who can confirm the identity, age and residency of the individual or couple applying to the program. The guarantor must be:
- a Canadian citizen
- at least 18years of age
If more than one person in your household is applying, you only need one guarantor per household.
List of eligible guarantors
A guarantor must be a practising member in good standing with a provincial regulatory body, such as a(n):
- chiropractor
- midwife
- nurse
- optometrist
- pharmacist
- doctor (physician or surgeon)
- psychologist
- veterinarian
- lawyer
- professional accountant
- professional engineer
- social worker or social service worker
- teacher, vice-principal/principal in a primary or secondary school
- dietitian
- dentist or dental hygienist
- judge, Justice of the Peace
- municipal, provincial or First Nations police officer or constable
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer or constable
- mayor
- member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
- minister of religion authorized under provincial law to perform marriages
- municipal clerk or treasurer who is a member of the Association of Municipal Managers or Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario
- notary public
- professor in a university, a senior administrator in a community college
- signing officer of a bank
- Chief (or culturally relevant leadership equivalent/Band Council Leadership) of a First Nation community
- Executive Director (or leadership equivalent) of an Indigenous organization (Inclusive of First Nations, Métis and Inuit organizations and service providers)
After you apply
Once you have completed and submitted your application form, you will be contacted by phone and/or mail if there are any issues with your application or if your application is incomplete.
If your application is approved, you will receive a welcome package and dental card in the mail that will expire on July31st.
The welcome package will tell you:
- how to access services
- where to book an appointment
- how to book an appointment
- what you need to bring to each appointment
You must present your card to your dental provider at each visit to receive services under the program.
Find a participating dentist
For information about where to access services and what services are available near you, please contact your local public health unit.
If you are accepted into the program, you can access dental services through:
- Public Health Units
- partner Community Health Centres
- partner Aboriginal Health Access Centres
Access to the full range of dental services will vary across the province.
Renew your yearly coverage
Every year, eligibility will be automatically verified for most clients to confirm enrolment for the next benefit period.
You will be notified by mail if you are eligible to keep participating in the program, or about how to re-apply to the program, if required.
You must reapply if:
- you applied using a guarantor
- you do not file taxes for the most recent tax years that your eligibility is being determined
Change your account information
If you are enrolled in the program and would like to make changes to your account, you must complete and submit achange of information form.
Mail your completed form to:
Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program
StationP, P.O. Box159
Toronto, Ontario
M5S2S7
Questions and resources
If you have any questions or need to replace your dental card, please contact the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program:
Tel: 416-916-0204 Toll-free: 1-833-207-4435 Toll-free TTY: 1-800-855-0511
Your local public health unit can also help you apply to the program.
The OSDCP contacts clients by phone or mail. We do not send invoices. If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be from the OSDCP, please do not open attachments or click on links in the email. Contact us using the above information to determine if the message is authentic.
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