Insurance and government programs
What we accept, what to bring with you, and who actually decides what your plan pays.
Looking for the privacy policy? It now has a page of its own.
What we accept, and how it works
Grace Dental Clinic accepts the Canadian Dental Care Plan, Healthy Smiles Ontario, Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program and the Interim Federal Health Program. We also accept private insurance from all providers, and we direct bill where your plan allows it.
Bring your card or your program letter to your appointment. The front desk checks what you are covered for before treatment starts, and tells you plainly if something is not covered. Nobody here will start work on the assumption that a plan will pay for it.
CDCP
Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP)
Residents of Canada without private dental insurance who meet the income and residency rules set by the federal government. Eligibility and enrolment are decided by the Government of Canada, not by the clinic.
We confirm your coverage with the plan before treatment starts.
If part of your treatment is not covered by the plan, we tell you before we begin, so you can decide what you want to do.
What to bring
- Your CDCP member card or your member number
- A piece of photo identification
- The letter Service Canada sent you, if you still have it
HSO
Healthy Smiles Ontario (HSO)
Children and young people aged 17 and under, in households that meet the program rules. It is run by the Government of Ontario through local public health units.
A parent or guardian needs to be present for a child appointment.
If your child is enrolled and you are not sure what is included, bring the paperwork and the front desk will check it with the program.
What to bring
- The child client number or Healthy Smiles Ontario card
- The child health card
- A parent or guardian who can consent to treatment
OW
Ontario Works (OW)
People receiving Ontario Works assistance, and in many cases their dependants. Your caseworker is the person who confirms what your file includes.
Some treatment needs authorization from your caseworker before it can go ahead.
If you are not sure what your file covers, come in for the exam anyway. We will tell you what we find and what needs approval.
What to bring
- Your Ontario Works member or client number
- Any dental authorization your caseworker has issued
- Photo identification
ODSP
Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
Adults receiving ODSP support, and eligible family members included on the file.
Some treatments need approval from the program before they can start, and that takes time. We will tell you when a plan needs it.
Tell us when you book if you need a longer appointment or help with mobility.
What to bring
- Your ODSP client number
- Your drug and dental benefit card, if you have one
- Any pre approval paperwork you have already received
IFHP
Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP)
Refugee claimants, resettled refugees and certain other groups, for as long as their coverage is active. The dental part of the program is limited and is mostly for urgent problems.
Coverage under this program is checked at each visit, because it has an expiry date.
If a treatment you need is outside the program, we will tell you before we begin and go through the alternatives.
What to bring
- Your Interim Federal Health Certificate
- An identity document
- A family member or an interpreter, if that would help you follow the appointment
Private insurance
Direct billing to private insurance
We accept private insurance from all providers. If your plan allows it, we send the claim to your insurer for you, and you settle whatever the insurer does not pay.
Bring your policy details to your first visit so the front desk can set this up. Some plans do not permit direct billing. In that case you pay the clinic and claim the amount back yourself, and we give you everything you need to do that.
What to bring
- Your insurance card, or the policy and certificate numbers
- The name of the plan holder, if the policy is in someone else name
- Details of a second plan, if you are covered twice
Ways to pay
You can pay by cash, credit card, Interac e-Transfer, or through your dental insurance.
The front desk tells you what is due at the end of the appointment. Fees are not published on this site, because what a visit involves varies from person to person. You will always be told the cost before treatment starts, and you can have it in writing.
Payment plans
For longer treatment we can spread payment across the stages of the work.
Ask the front desk before treatment begins, so the arrangement is agreed and written down first rather than sorted out afterwards.
Fees are not published on this site. The front desk goes through the cost with you before treatment starts, and you get it in writing.
What we can and cannot tell you about coverage
This is the part other clinic websites tend to leave vague, so here it is plainly.
- The front desk confirms your coverage directly with your plan or your program. Until that is done, nobody at the clinic can tell you what you are covered for.
- We do not quote coverage percentages, and we do not predict whether a claim will be approved. Those decisions belong to your insurer or your program, not to us.
- Claims are submitted through the clinic practice management system, which is the system that talks to insurers and to government programs.
- If something is not covered, we tell you before treatment starts, so the decision is yours.
- If a claim comes back differently from what was expected, the front desk will explain what the insurer said and what your options are.
No website can tell you what your plan will pay. Anyone who says otherwise is guessing with your money.
Your first visit
A first appointment is mostly talking and looking. Nothing is done to a tooth without telling you first.
What to bring, and what to write down
- Write down the questions and concerns you want to raise, so nothing gets forgotten on the day.
- Bring your insurance card, or your program card or number.
- Bring a list of your current medications, including anything you buy without a prescription.
- Bring your health card.
- For a child, bring the parent or guardian who can consent to treatment.
What happens while you are here
- You fill in a short health history at the front desk, or in the patient portal before you come in.
- The dentist examines your teeth, gums, bite and soft tissues, and takes X-rays only where there is a reason for them.
- You get a plain language explanation of what was found and what the options are.
- You decide what you want to go ahead with. You can take the plan away and think about it.
Your rights as a patient
These are the things you are entitled to expect from this practice. If any of them is not happening, say so, and ask for it.
- You can choose your own dentist and expect an appointment within a reasonable time.
- You can ask about the education and training of your dentist and of the dental team.
- You can see the dentist at each visit where dental treatment is provided.
- You have time to ask questions, and to get answers, about your dental condition and your treatment plan.
- You can be told what the dental team considers the right treatment plan, and you can ask about alternatives.
- You can have the purpose, the likely short term and long term results, the alternatives and the risks explained before you consent to a treatment plan.
- You will be told about the continuing care your mouth needs.
- You can be told the expected cost of treatment in advance.
- You can accept, delay or decline any part of what is recommended.
- You can expect reasonable arrangements for dental care and for emergency treatment.
- You can expect considerate, respectful and confidential care from the dentist and the dental team.
- You can expect the team to follow proper infection control and sterilization procedures.
- You can see the personal health information the clinic holds about you, and ask for a correction if something in it is wrong.
- You can ask about the process for raising a concern or resolving a dispute about your treatment.
What we ask of you
Care works better in both directions. This is our side of the same list.
- Give us accurate, honest and complete information about your medical history and your current health, as far as you are able.
- Tell us when your medical situation changes, and tell us what you need and expect from us.
- Take part in decisions about your care, and ask questions when something is not clear.
- Ask about your treatment options, and understand what each one can and cannot do.
- Accept the consequences of declining treatment, or of not following a plan you agreed to.
- Keep the appointments you book, and give us notice when you cannot make one.
- Be available for treatment when we give you reasonable notice.
- Follow the home care advice you are given between visits.
- Settle what you owe for the care you have received.
Ask before you book, not after
If you are not sure whether we take your plan, or what your program covers, phone the front desk and ask. It takes a minute and it saves a surprise.
Open seven days a week, evenings until 9:00 pm on weekdays.