Federal funding boosts oral health training and care access in Quebec

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published March 30, 2026

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Health Canada announced on Monday, March 30, 2026, more than $3.8 million for three projects at Université Laval aimed at improving hands-on training for oral health students and expanding access to care in underserved parts of Quebec.

The funding includes more than $2.3 million to create social dentistry internships at an existing community centre in downtown Québec City and at a new dental clinic that will be renovated and equipped to serve an underserved area in the South Shore and Beauce region. It also includes more than $1 million for a new internship stream allowing dentistry students to work in private practices in underserved regions of Québec City.

More than $450,000 will also go toward expanding student training and supporting an initiative designed to attract and retain eligible Canadian Dental Care Plan patients in the Québec and Lévis areas by covering the remaining balance of their co-payments. Health Canada said the projects add to a broader investment of more than $35 million over three years for 30 projects under the Oral Health Access Fund, which is meant to reduce barriers to oral health care for vulnerable populations, including in rural and remote communities.

The announcement comes as the federal government says more than 6 million people across Canada are now covered under the Canadian Dental Care Plan, including more than 1.7 million in Quebec. More than 1 million members in the province have already received care from participating providers. The renewal period for this year runs from April 15 to June 1, 2026.