Dental-care program hits 1 million patients in first six months, coverage expands [Video]

Health Minister Mark Holland arrives to a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

A million Canadians have received care under the federal dental-care plan six months after the program began, Health Minister Mark Holland said Thursday.

Starting on Friday, the program will also cover more complex procedures.

That means people who have coverage under the federal program can request pre-authorization for things like crowns and the initial placement of partial dentures, as well as what the program deems high-need or complex conditions.

Paper claims will also be accepted, something Holland said will mean that more dentists and oral care providers are eligible to work under the program.

Once these expansions are up and running, Holland said the government is on track to begin expanding who can get coverage under the program next year.

“We haven’t set on the exact date, …