CDCP dentist in Scarborough on the Danforth

Yes, we accept the Canadian Dental Care Plan

If you have received your CDCP welcome package and member card, you can book with us as a new patient. Dental Care For You is a general dental office at Terrace on Danforth, near Danforth Avenue and Warden Avenue, and we see CDCP members for check-ups, cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canal treatment, dentures and the other services the plan includes. We send your claims to the plan for you, so you do not have to pay the covered amount up front and wait for a refund.

Many of the patients who ask us about CDCP are seniors who lost workplace coverage when they retired, parents booking a first visit for a child, and adults who have not seen a dentist in years because they had no insurance. All of them are welcome. If it has been a long time since your last visit, you will not be judged here. We start with a gentle examination and a clear plan, and we go at the pace that suits you.

Who qualifies for CDCP

The Canadian Dental Care Plan is a federal program run by the Government of Canada. You decide whether you qualify by applying to the plan, not through the dental office. In general, the plan is for Canadian residents who:

• Do not have access to dental insurance through an employer, a pension, a professional or student association, or a private plan
• Have an adjusted family net income below the federal limit
• Have filed a tax return for the previous year (and, if you have a spouse or common-law partner, they have filed too)
• Are a resident of Canada for tax purposes

The rules, the income limit and the steps to apply are set by the federal government and can change. Check the current rules on the Government of Canada CDCP page before you apply. If you are approved, the plan mails you a welcome package with your member card and the date your coverage begins. Treatment received before that start date is not covered by CDCP.

What CDCP covers at our office

CDCP covers a wide range of everyday dental care. The plan groups services into categories, and most of the general dentistry we provide fits into one of them:

• Preventive care: cleanings (scaling and polishing), fluoride, sealants and advice on home care
• Diagnostic care: examinations and digital X-rays so we can see what is happening below the surface
• Restorative care: fillings to repair cavities and broken teeth
• Endodontic care: root canal treatment to save an infected or inflamed tooth
• Prosthodontic care: complete and partial dentures, relines and repairs
• Periodontal care: treatment for gum disease beyond a routine cleaning
• Oral surgery: extractions, including wisdom teeth when they cause problems

Some treatments, such as crowns and some other procedures, need approval from the plan before they start. When that applies, we send the request for you, explain what we are waiting for, and book the treatment once the plan replies. Cosmetic treatments such as teeth whitening and veneers are not part of the plan.

How billing works here for CDCP patients

Billing is the part most patients worry about, so here is exactly how it works at Dental Care For You:

1. Before treatment, we look at what you need and tell you which parts the plan covers, which parts need approval first, and whether anything would not be covered.
2. Depending on your family income, the plan may ask you to pay a co-payment for covered care. Your welcome package tells you whether this applies to you, and we confirm it with you before treatment.
3. If any part of your treatment is not covered, or the plan covers less than the full treatment, we tell you before we begin and give you a written estimate. You decide whether to go ahead. Nothing is added to your bill without your agreement.
4. After your visit, we send the claim to the plan directly. You only settle the part the plan does not cover, if there is one.

You can read more about how we handle insurance and the plan on our dental insurance and billing page.

What to bring to your first CDCP visit

• Your CDCP member card, or your member ID from the welcome package
• Government photo ID
• A list of your medications and supplements, with doses if you have them
• Any recent dental X-rays or records from a previous dentist, if you have them
• Your glasses, hearing aids or dentures if you use them
• For a child, the parent or guardian who applied for the plan should come along

Our new patients page explains the forms, the first examination and how long the visit takes.

Your first appointment, step by step

1. Check-in. We confirm your member details and your health history. Tell us about any heart condition, diabetes, blood thinners or recent hospital stays, because they can affect dental care.
2. Examination. Dr. Samar Fadavi checks your teeth, gums, bite, jaw and the soft tissues of your mouth, including a screening for anything unusual.
3. X-rays where needed. We take only the images that help answer a real question.
4. A clear plan. We explain what we found in plain words, show you on the screen where it helps, and put the treatment in order of urgency.
5. Coverage check. We tell you what the plan covers and what needs approval first.
6. Cleaning or treatment. If there is time and you are comfortable, we may start the cleaning or an urgent repair on the same day.

CDCP for seniors, children and families

Seniors. Many older adults on the Danforth and across Scarborough qualify for the plan after retiring. Our office is wheelchair accessible, parking is available behind the building, and we give extra time to patients who need it. Read about our dental care for seniors, including dentures, dry mouth from medications and gum health later in life.

Children. Children under 18 in an eligible family can be covered. Early visits make dental care feel normal for a child. Our children’s dentistry page explains what we do at each age.

Adults with no recent care. If years have passed since your last cleaning, start with an examination. We will tell you honestly what needs attention now and what can wait.

Dental emergencies and CDCP

If you have pain, swelling or a broken tooth, call us the same day. You do not need to be an existing patient. We keep time for same-day emergency visits and walk-in slots, and we can see CDCP members for urgent care. Bring your member card. If swelling makes it hard to breathe or swallow, go to a hospital emergency department instead.

Languages and accessibility

We provide care in English, French and Farsi, and we can communicate in American Sign Language. If you would like a family member to come into the room to help explain the plan or the treatment, that is welcome. Our office at Terrace on Danforth is wheelchair accessible, with parking behind the building.

Finding us

Dental Care For You is at 3520 Danforth Avenue, Unit 107, Scarborough, at the Danforth and Warden end of the neighbourhood. Patients come to us from Oakridge, Crescent Town, Birchcliff, Cliffside, Clairlea and East York. Hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10 am to 7 pm, Tuesday 1 pm to 5 pm and Saturday 10 am to 4 pm, so evening and Saturday visits are possible. See contact and directions.

CDCP and the rest of your family’s dental care

Coverage is set for each person, so one family can have different situations. A grandparent may be covered by the plan, a parent may have insurance through work, and a teenager may be covered under the family’s plan. That is common, and we handle each person’s coverage separately. Book the family together if it is easier for you; we will check each card and keep each record apart.

If your situation changes, for example you start a job with dental benefits or your income changes, the plan’s rules about who qualifies may change too. Let us know at your next visit so we bill the right plan. If you are unsure which coverage applies, the plan’s member services can confirm it, and we are happy to go through the paperwork with you at the front desk.

Questions to ask before your first CDCP visit

• When does my coverage start, and is it on my member card or welcome letter?
• Does my family income mean I have a co-payment?
• Which of the treatments I may need require approval from the plan first?
• Is anything I want, such as whitening, outside the plan?

Bring these questions with you and we will answer them at the visit, in plain words, before any treatment begins.