Ever wonder why your dental plan renewal goes up more than the dentist’s fee increases? There’s actually some interesting math behind that, and it’s worth understanding before the 2026 numbers start rolling out.
Here’s what most people don’t realize about dental fee guides
Every year, each province’s dental association publishes what they call a “suggested fee guide.” Think of it as their recommendation for what a cleaning, filling, or crown should cost.
Unfortunately dentists can charge whatever they want. But insurance companies use these guides as their benchmark for what they’ll reimburse.
So when your plan says it covers “80% of dental costs,” it’s actually 80% of what the provincial guide says that procedure should cost. Not necessarily what your dentist actually charges.
Why your renewal might say 8% when the fee guide only went up 4%
This one trips people up every time. Here’s what’s happening:
The fee guide increase tells you how much dentists’ suggested rates went up. Ontario’s guide might increase 4%, Quebec’s might jump 6%.
Your renewal increase factors in two things: those higher fees PLUS whether people are using their benefits more.
After COVID, we saw a huge surge in people catching up on cleanings and treatments they’d put off. So even if fees only went up 4%, insurance companies were seeing 8-10% more in total claims.
More visits + higher fees = bigger renewal increases.
That’s why your broker (hopefully) isn’t just looking at fee guide increases when they’re projecting your costs. We’re watching utilization patterns too.
What we’re seeing heading into 2026
Here’s where it gets interesting. Looking at the actual numbers from the last five years, some clear patterns emerge:
| Province | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| British Columbia | 3.96% | 7.30% | 5.99% | 4.73% | 3.27% |
| Alberta | 0.00% | 3.90% | 6.00% | 3.62% | 4.15% |
| Saskatchewan | N/A | N/A | 5.62% | 3.97% | N/A |
| Manitoba | 4.19% | 5.79% | 5.25% | 4.90% | 3.10% |
| Ontario | 4.60% | 4.75% | 8.50% | 4.80% | 2.03% |
| Quebec | 4.20% | 5.00% | 9.80% | 5.70% | 4.50% |
| Nova Scotia | 3.39% | 7.05% | 5.92% | 4.73% | 3.81% |
| New Brunswick | 2.52% | 5.90% | 7.57% | 4.65% | 3.00% |
| Prince Edward Island | 2.91% | 4.75% | 5.77% | 4.65% | N/A |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | N/A | N/A | 8.50% | 4.00% | N/A |
A few things jump out from these numbers:
Quebec’s been the most volatile – that 9.8% spike in 2023 was brutal for plan renewals.
Ontario had its rough year in 2023 too – 8.5% is significant when you’re budgeting.
Alberta stayed steady – even had a 0% increase in 2021, which almost never happens.
The Atlantic provinces have been all over the map, but generally trending higher than the western provinces.
The big picture over five years
When you compound these annual increases, here’s what employers have actually experienced:
- Quebec: ~32.69% total increase over five years
- British Columbia: ~27.87% over five years
- Nova Scotia: ~27.45% over five years
- Ontario: ~27.12% over five years
- New Brunswick: ~25.88% over five years
- Manitoba: ~25.47% over five years
- Prince Edward Island: ~19.32% (four years of data)
- Alberta: ~18.86% over five years
- Saskatchewan: ~9.81% (only two years available)
- Newfoundland & Labrador: 8.50% (only one year available)
So if you’re in Quebec and wondering why your dental premiums keep climbing, there’s your answer. A third more expensive over five years adds up fast.
What this means for your team (with real numbers)
Let’s say your employee goes for their regular check-up in BC. Here’s how the math actually works with the real 2025 BC fee guide:
Typical 6-Month Check-Up Services:
- Recall exam
- 2 bitewing x-rays
- Polishing (1 unit)
- Scaling (2 units)
- Fluoride rinse
| British Columbia Example (2025 Guide) | ||
| Item | 2025 BC Fee Guide | Dentist Charges 10% Higher |
| Recall exam | $41.60 | $45.76 |
| 2 bitewing x-rays | $63.00 | $69.30 |
| Polishing | $47.60 | $52.36 |
| Scaling (2 units) | $117.60 | $129.36 |
| Fluoride rinse | $14.60 | $16.06 |
| Total Bill | $284.40 | $312.84 |
If the dentist charges exactly what the BC guide suggests:
- Your plan pays 80% of $284.40 = $227.52
- Employee pays: $56.88
If the dentist charges 10% above the guide (pretty common in cities):
- Your plan still pays 80% of the guide amount = $227.52
- Employee pays: $85.32
That extra $28.44 (or more if the dentist is charging more than 10%) comes as a surprise to a lot of people. They think they have “80% coverage” but end up paying more because their dentist charges above the provincial suggestion.
Here’s what I tell most employers
The fee guide increases are just one piece of the puzzle. When the 2026 numbers come out (usually between January – March), don’t panic if they look high. Look at your actual utilization patterns and what your team’s dentists typically charge.
Some questions worth asking:
- Is your plan automatically updating to the current year’s guide?
- Has your team’s usage gone up or down over the past couple of years?
- Have you benchmarked your team’s usage
Those answers matter more for your budget than any single percentage increase.
Want to understand how the 2026 changes might specifically affect your plan? Let’s have a conversation when the numbers come out—I’ll walk you through what it means for your team and your budget.
Quick answers to questions (TLDR):
Q: Do all dentists follow the fee guide? Not at all. Many charge at or slightly above it, especially in bigger cities. It’s totally legal—the guide is just a suggestion.
Q: Why don’t insurance companies just cover the actual bill instead of the guide?
Because then there’d be no limit on what dentists could charge and still get covered. The guide creates a reasonable benchmark. Fun Fact: Alberta just got a dental fee guide in 2018, it use to have no benchmarks! Wild West!
Q: Should we worry about the 2026 increases? Not worry, but definitely plan. Understanding the trends helps you budget better and set realistic expectations with your team.
- Is your plan automatically updating to the current year’s guide?
- Are most of your employees seeing dentists who charge at or above guide rates?
- Has your team’s usage gone up or down over the past couple of years?
Those answers matter more for your budget than any single percentage increase.
The real power is in your own data
You know what’s even more valuable than provincial trends? Understanding your team’s specific patterns.
That’s why we’ve built an analytics portal that helps employers like you spot exactly these kinds of trends in your benefits data. Instead of guessing whether that 6% fee guide increase will impact your renewal, you can see how your team actually uses their dental benefits, which procedures drive your costs, and where the real opportunities are.
Maybe your team’s scaling costs have been trending up because everyone’s catching up on cleanings. Maybe you’re seeing more orthodontics claims from younger employees. Or maybe most of your people go to dentists who charge right at the fee guide, not above it.
When you can see these patterns in your own data, the annual fee guide releases become way less stressful. You’re not reacting to industry news—you’re making informed decisions based on what’s actually happening with your specific group.
We’d love to work with you and share our knowledge and tools. Understanding your benefits data shouldn’t require a degree in actuarial science, and it doesn’t. We are here to help!
Want to see how your plan stacks up against these 2026 changes? Let’s have a conversation when the numbers come out—I’ll walk you through what it means for your team, your budget, and your strategy going forward.
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