Establishing an Essential Basket of Services for a Federal Dental Program for Children: A Survey of Canadian Pediatric Dentists

Purpose The Canadian Dental Care Plan aims to reduce affordability barriers to oral health care for low‐ and middle‐income families, including children. The selection of covered services is critical to ensure that both immediate needs and long‐term oral health outcomes are adequately addressed. This study identified services considered essential for children by pediatric dentists and compared them with those included in the CDCP. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was electronically distributed by the Canadian Association of Pediatric Dentists/Académie Canadienne de Dentisterie Pédiatrique to certified and retired pediatric dentists in Canada ( n = 297). The survey collected demographic, practice, and perspectives on essential services. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results The response rate was 35% ( n = 104; 78 complete). Most respondents were women, and aged 30–39 years (33%). Participants emphasized the equal importance of primary and permanent teeth and supported comprehensive care. While perspectives generally aligned with CDCP service grids, key gaps were identified in preventive services, including oral hygiene instruction, nutritional counseling, mouth guards, space maintainers, smoking cessation counseling, and primary tooth root canals. Conclusions Although the CDCP aligns with many professional priorities, omissions in preventive services limit its comprehensiveness. An upstream approach could support more sustainable oral health care for children and reduce long‐term burdens.