Restorative (Minor/Major)
Restorative dental care repairs and replaces damaged or missing teeth. It is divided into two categories: minor restorative, which includes fillings and simple repairs, and major restorative, which covers crowns, bridges, dentures, and complex work.
How It Works
Minor restorative services address smaller portions of a tooth that is basically healthy and just needs repair, such as fillings, dental bonding, onlays, and inlays. Major restorative work deals with teeth that are badly damaged or missing, with examples including crowns, bridges, implants, and dentures. Canadian plans commonly reimburse minor restorative services at a higher rate, around 80 percent, and major restorative services at a lower rate, around 50 percent. Major restorative care is usually not covered by government health plans, so Canadians typically obtain it through a workplace benefits plan or an individual dental insurance plan, and many plans apply a waiting period before benefits can be used, though it can sometimes be waived for someone coming straight off another plan.
Example:
A Canadian with an individual dental plan that reimburses minor restorative at a higher rate and major restorative at a lower rate might pay only a small share for a composite filling, which is a minor service, but face a larger share of the cost for a crown, which is a major service. They may also need to submit a pre-treatment estimate and satisfy a waiting period before the major work becomes eligible.
What to Watch For:
Whether a procedure such as a root canal or wisdom teeth removal counts as major or routine depends on the plan; some plans treat these as major dental while others include them as routine care. Because classifications and reimbursement levels vary, it helps to confirm how your plan categorizes a service and to submit a pre-treatment estimate before major work begins, especially where a waiting period applies.
