Don’t call it insurance: What dentists want you to know about the federal dental plan

OTTAWA — The federal government has announced enrolment details for a new federal dental plan that resembles typical insurance coverage, down to the benefits card patients show at the dentists’ office. 

But dentists say the new government program isn’t the same as the insurance people typically get from employers, and patients should be clear about the differences. 

British Columbia Dental Association president Dr. Robert Wolanski says the government plan is more of a social program than a typical insurance program.

The government’s benefits plan is modelled closely on the federal health benefits program for registered First Nations and Inuit people.