We asked our comparison engine for the cheapest plan with at least $1,000 a year of dental in five provinces at ages 20–80 — whole market and guaranteed-acceptance-only. The cheapest way in is $49.96/month, but year-one maximums and waiting periods decide what you actually collect.
$49.96/mo — The cheapest plan with at least $1,000 a year of dental coverage: Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice B at age 20.
Rates pulled live from our own comparison engine on July 15, 2026 for a single adult losing employer coverage, filtered to plans with $1,000+/yr dental. Filter states were verified before every reading.
Two plans "with $1,000 of dental" can differ by hundreds of dollars in what they actually pay this year — because of graded maximums and waiting periods. We asked our comparison engine for the cheapest plan with at least $1,000/yr of dental coverage in five provinces at ages 20–80, ran it twice (whole market, then guaranteed-acceptance only), and recorded what each winner's dental really looks like.
Key findings
- The cheapest plan meeting the $1,000/yr dental filter is Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice B at $49.96/month (Manitoba, age 20).
- GMS BasicPlan + Dental wins most whole-market cells, from $56.75/month (Saskatchewan, ages 20–30) to $101.50/month (Ontario, age 80).
- The cheapest underwritten plans grade the maximum ($500 year one, $1,000 by year three) and add a 3-month wait; conversion guaranteed plans (GMS Essential, MBC Blue Choice Conversion) pay the full $1,000 from day one.
- Guaranteed-acceptance options run $51.94–$128.00/month across the grid, depending on age and province.
Dental With a Real Maximum: $1,000+ a Year
Filter: at least $1,000/yr of dental coverage; everything else off.
Whole market (medically underwritten plans included):
| Age | SK | BC | AB | MB | ON |
|---|
| 20 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$56.75 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$78.00 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$75.50 | Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice B
$49.96 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$81.50 |
| 30 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$56.75 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$78.00 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$75.50 | Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice B
$73.33 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$81.50 |
| 40 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$61.25 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$80.25 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$89.00 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$77.75 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$83.25 |
| 50 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$62.25 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$80.25 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$89.50 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$79.75 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$85.00 |
| 60 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$64.50 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$85.00 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$86.50 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$80.00 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$86.25 |
| 70 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$72.00 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$89.00 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$82.00 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$86.25 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$93.75 |
| 80 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$80.00 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$89.75 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$83.25 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$94.00 | GMS BasicPlan + Dental
$101.50 |
Guaranteed approval only:
| Age | SK | BC | AB | MB | ON |
|---|
| 20 | GMS Essential
$74.25 | Pacific Blue Cross Group Conversion, Enh. Dental
$85.00 | GMS Essential
$91.00 | Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice Conversion
$51.94 | GMS Essential
$92.75 |
| 30 | GMS Essential
$74.25 | Pacific Blue Cross Group Conversion, Enh. Dental
$85.00 | GMS Essential
$91.00 | Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice Conversion
$75.74 | GMS Essential
$92.75 |
| 40 | GMS Essential
$76.50 | Pacific Blue Cross Group Conversion, Enh. Dental
$97.00 | GMS Essential
$99.25 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$89.00 | GMS Essential
$96.50 |
| 50 | GMS Essential
$87.25 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$107.00 | GMS Essential
$111.00 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$90.00 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$109.00 |
| 60 | Sask. Blue Cross Conversion + Dental
$95.00 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$110.00 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$121.00 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$96.00 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$112.00 |
| 70 | GMS Essential
$88.50 | GMS Essential
$115.75 | GMS Essential
$104.75 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$102.00 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$120.00 |
| 80 | Sask. Blue Cross Conversion + Dental
$102.00 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$119.00 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$128.00 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$102.00 | GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3
$120.00 |
What each winning plan's dental actually looks like:
- GMS BasicPlan + Dental Underwritten 3-month wait — maximum grades up: $500 year one, $750 year two, $1,000 from year three. 75% coverage year one, 80% after, on preventative + basic; 50% major from year two.
- Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice B Underwritten 3-month wait — $500 year one, $1,000 combined from year two; 75% preventative, 50% restorative.
- GMS Essential Guaranteed approval 90-day window No wait — full $1,000/yr combined from day one, 80% preventative + basic, 50% major, 2 exams/yr.
- Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice Conversion Guaranteed approval Wait waived — $1,000/yr, 75% preventative, 50% restorative; the usual waiting period is waived entirely for conversion applicants.
- Pacific Blue Cross Group Conversion Enhanced Dental Guaranteed approval Conversion window — graded $600 / $900 / $1,200 across benefit periods at 70%/80%/80%; major at 50% with a shared $500 sub-cap.
- GreenShield Health Assist ZONE 3 Guaranteed approval Open enrollment — no conversion window needed. $600 year one, $800 year two, $1,000 from year three at 80% basic + comprehensive; 50% major from year three.
⚠️ Note the pattern the tables can't show: the cheapest underwritten dental plans make you earn the $1,000 maximum over three years and sit out a waiting period, while the conversion-window guaranteed plans (GMS Essential, MBC Blue Choice Conversion) hand you the full maximum immediately with no wait. If dental work is imminent and you're leaving a group plan, the "more expensive" guaranteed option frequently pays out more in year one.
If dental isn't the only reason you're shopping: the cheapest health plan in Canada, period runs $10–$31/month without a dental filter, and our companion finding covers the cheapest real massage/physio/chiro coverage.
How we measured this
Every rate above comes from our own comparison engine — the same price-ranked results any visitor sees — pulled on July 15, 2026 for a single adult losing employer coverage (so conversion windows are open), with the dental filter set to at least $1,000/yr and everything else off. Filter states were verified before every reading. "Cheapest" means the lowest monthly premium in the price-ranked results.
Limitations
- Carriers reprice through the year — these are July 15, 2026 readings.
- Rates are profile-specific: age, family size, province, and effective date all move the premium.
- Several winners grade their annual maximum over years and impose waiting periods — compare year-one maximums, not just the headline number.
Frequently asked questions
Do these dental plans cover the full $1,000 right away?
Read the fine print on maximums and waits. Several of the cheapest dental options grade their annual maximum over time (for example $500 in year one rising to $1,000 by year three) or impose a 3-month wait before covering preventative care. Some conversion plans for people leaving group benefits waive the wait entirely and start at the full maximum — a genuine advantage of applying inside your conversion window.
What is the cheapest dental plan with a real $1,000 maximum?
In our July 15, 2026 pull, Manitoba Blue Cross Blue Choice B at $49.96 per month for a 20-year-old in Manitoba was the cheapest plan meeting the $1,000-a-year dental filter. In the other provinces the whole-market winner was GMS BasicPlan + Dental, from $56.75 per month in Saskatchewan.
Will I pay exactly these rates?
Not necessarily. The rates shown were generated July 15, 2026 for a single adult losing employer coverage, and premiums vary with age, family size, province, and effective date, and carriers reprice over time. Run the comparison tool with your own details for current pricing.