Canada's health minister says millions of Canadians who aren't currently eligible for the national dental insurance plan will be able to apply "as soon as possible in the new year" -- but he won't say exactly when or who might qualify next.
"I know people are anxious and I'm getting asked everywhere this question," Health Minister Mark Holland said during a press conference at a dental assistant school in Ottawa on Wednesday.
"As soon as possible in the new year, we want this to expand to every Canadian everywhere in the country."
The federal government previously said all remaining Canadians aged 18 to 64 would be able to apply starting in January 2025.
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is a taxpayer-funded program that helps pay for dental procedures, including cleanings, fillings and dentures. It covers low- to middle-income Canadians who don't have access to private dental insurance -- an estimated 9 million people.
So far, only a third of them -- 3 million -- are eligible under the program: seniors, children and residents with valid disability tax credits.
It's still not clear if the remaining 6 million Canadians -- people aged 18 to 64 -- will become eligible at the same time in 2025, or if Ottawa will choose to add them gradually in separate cohorts.
Holland's office was asked Wednesday to clarify the rollout plan but would not provide more details. Holland hinted in October the expansion in 2025 might be broken down into different groups.
WATCH: Minister says he can't state when dental care plan will expand
Holland said Wednesday it's important to make sure each step of the program is running smoothly before expanding it. He pointed to pre-authorizations, which were only added to the program in November. That process is used for more complicated and expensive dental procedures, like crowns or the initial placement of partial dentures.
"We want to make sure we get pre-authorization dead right before we expand to the other cohorts," Holland said.
"We are 100 per cent committed to doing this at the earliest opportunity."
Ottawa released new data on the dental care plan's uptake Wednesday, which is expected to cost taxpayers $13 billion over the next five years. The federal government has said the program is one of Canada's largest social programs to date.
Since it began in May, more than 1.2 million Canadian residents have received dental care through the program. On average, each person has had $791 in dental costs covered. More than 90 per cent of oral health care providers are now participating, Health Canada said.