Cowan Dentist in Mississauga
Book an Appointment Call 905-567-6891We direct bill Cowan, so you pay only your share. Open 7 days, including evenings and Sundays.
We Accept Dental Plans Administered by Cowan
Looking for a Cowan dentist in Mississauga? At River Run Dental Centre, we accept dental plans administered by Cowan Insurance Group and we direct bill Cowan for most plans, so you usually only pay your share at the visit.
Cowan Insurance Group is a Canadian benefits firm that designs and administers group benefits for employers and associations. That means your dental claims may be processed by Cowan, even if you didn’t pick the plan yourself.
We’re a family dental clinic at 11-1525 Bristol Rd W, near Creditview Rd, open 7 days a week, including weekday evenings and Sundays. New and existing patients are welcome.
Direct Billing to Cowan
As a dentist that accepts Cowan, we send your claim electronically at your appointment. The insurer replies within minutes with what your plan pays, and we tell you the balance before you leave.
- Bring your plan card, or your plan and ID numbers.
- If you have a second plan, such as a spouse’s, bring those details too. We can bill both.
- A few plans pay you rather than the clinic. We still submit the claim for you; you pay at the visit and your insurer reimburses you.
Cowan Plan Members: Your Benefits Online
Cowan Insurance Group, family-owned since 1927, administers group benefits and pays “direct-bill claims from pharmacies, dental clinics, paramedical, and vision care providers” (Cowan claims services). We submit your claim for you at your visit, so there’s nothing to file.
- Plan members can sign in to Group Benefits Member Access for 24/7 access to their plan.
- Your plan was chosen by your employer or association, so your coverage and limits are in your plan booklet. We check them before treatment.
Cowan at a Glance
The details Cowan members ask us about most, in one place:
| What to know | |
|---|---|
| Group benefits line | 1-888-509-7797, or (613) 741-3313 in Ottawa, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET (Cowan contact) |
| Head office | Cambridge, Ontario |
| UHIP (international students) | Administered by Cowan, coverage provided by Manulife. Not a dental plan |
| Larger treatment | Cowan’s form recommends approval before any service over $500 |
Is Cowan Your Insurer, Your Administrator or Your Broker?
Cowan plays different roles for different plans. It advises employers on which group benefits plan to buy, and it also runs “Third Party Plan Administration and Claims Payment” (Cowan group benefits). So on one plan Cowan pays the claims, and on another it’s the broker for a plan insured elsewhere.
The name and numbers on your card tell us where the claim goes. Keep your certificate number handy; Cowan asks for it when you search its provider list or call about your plan.
International Students: UHIP Is Not Dental Coverage
Many international students in Mississauga have UHIP, the University Health Insurance Plan. Its site says: “Coverage provided by Manulife. Administration provided by Cowan Insurance Group” (UHIP), and the University of Toronto Mississauga names Cowan as the UHIP insurer (UTM health insurance).
UHIP is health coverage, similar to OHIP. Regular dental visits come under your university’s supplementary health and dental plan, which UHIP says is “separate from your UHIP coverage” (UHIP FAQ). For wisdom teeth, UHIP has coverage only “in rare medical instances, where this surgery can only be done in a hospital”. Bring your student plan card, and we’ll check what it covers.
Crowns, Bridges and Bigger Treatment With a Cowan Plan
Cowan’s dental claim form asks: “If this claim is for dentures, crowns or bridges, is this the initial placement?” (Cowan dental claim form). Replacements often have a time limit, so tell us when and why an old crown or denture was placed.
The same form says Cowan recommends “that any service exceeding $500 be approved by the insurer before the treatment begins.” We send the treatment plan first, so you know your share before we start.
What Cowan Dental Coverage Usually Includes
Your Cowan dental coverage depends on the plan your employer or group chose, so two people with the same insurer can have very different benefits. Most plans are split into three levels:
Basic care
Exams, cleanings, X-rays, fillings, extractions and often root canals, usually covered at the highest rate.
Major care
crowns, bridges and dentures, usually covered at a lower rate.
Orthodontics
Braces and aligners, included in some plans with a separate lifetime maximum.
Most plans also have a yearly maximum and limits on how often some services are covered, such as a cleaning every six or nine months. We check these before treatment so there are no surprises.
Are Braces and Dental Implants Covered?
It depends on your plan. Some plans include orthodontic coverage for braces and Invisalign, often with a lifetime maximum and sometimes only for children. Dental implants are covered by a growing number of plans, usually as major care, while others cover a bridge or denture instead.
Before larger treatment like braces or implants, we send a predetermination to your insurer. It shows exactly what your plan will pay, so you can decide with the real numbers in front of you.
Making a Cowan Dental Claim
You don’t need to make a dental claim yourself: we submit it electronically at your visit. Even if your plan pays you rather than the clinic, we still send the claim for you. Afterwards, you can see the claim and what your plan paid in the Cowan member website or the contact details on your plan card.
Keep your receipts, and check that your personal and dependant details are up to date with your insurer. Most claim problems come from a changed address, a new dependant or a second plan that hasn’t been set up yet.
How Common Treatments Are Usually Covered
Every Cowan plan is different, but most follow the same pattern. This is how common treatments are usually covered, so you know what to ask about:
| Treatment | Usual coverage | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Checkups and teeth cleaning | Basic care, usually the highest rate | Often limited to every 6 or 9 months |
| Fillings | Basic care | Tooth-coloured fillings on back teeth may be paid at the silver filling rate |
| Root canal | Basic or major, depending on the plan | A crown afterwards is usually major care |
| Extractions and wisdom teeth removal | Basic care | Impacted teeth may need X-rays sent with the claim |
| Gum treatment and scaling | Basic care | Often limited by time units each year |
| Crowns and bridges | Major care, often a lower rate | Some plans limit replacement to every 5 years |
| Dentures | Major care | Relines and repairs are usually covered too |
| Braces and Invisalign | Orthodontics, only if your plan includes it | Usually a separate lifetime maximum |
| Dental implants | Major care on some plans | Others pay the cost of a bridge or denture instead |
| Teeth whitening and veneers | Cosmetic, usually not covered | Bonding to repair a broken tooth may be covered |
The exact percentages, limits and waiting periods are in your Cowan dental plan booklet. We check them for you before treatment.
Predeterminations, Claims and Annual Maximums
Predetermination
Before larger work, such as crowns, dentures, implants or braces, we send a Cowan dental predetermination with the treatment plan and X-rays. The insurer replies with what your plan will pay, usually within a couple of weeks, so you know your cost before you commit.
Claims
We submit every claim for you, electronically wherever possible. If one has to go on paper, we complete it and send it to your insurer ourselves.
Annual maximum
Most Cowan plans set a yearly limit on what they pay. It usually resets every January or on your plan’s anniversary date. If you’re close to your maximum, we can plan treatment across two plan years so more of it is covered.
If You Have Two Dental Plans
If you’re covered by Cowan and another plan, such as a spouse’s, the two plans can share the cost. This is called coordination of benefits. Your own plan pays first, then the second plan can pay some or all of what’s left.
For children covered on both parents’ plans, Canadian insurers usually use the birthday rule: the plan of the parent whose birthday comes first in the calendar year pays first. We set this up for you when you bring both sets of plan details.
Finding a Cowan Dentist Near You
Canadian dental plans, including Cowan, generally let you choose any licensed dentist, so you don’t need to find an in-network clinic. If you’re looking for a dentist near you in Mississauga, we’re at 11-1525 Bristol Rd W, near Creditview Rd, open 7 days a week with evening and Sunday hours.
Using Your Cowan Plan at River Run
- Book: call or book online and mention you have Cowan coverage.
- Bring: your plan card, photo ID and any second-plan details.
- Before treatment: we check your coverage and explain any cost that isn’t covered.
- At checkout: we bill your plan directly and you pay only your share.
We also direct bill ClaimSecure, Express Scripts Canada and TELUS Health, along with most other Canadian plans. No coverage for part of your treatment? Ask about our payment plans. You can compare all the plans and programs we accept on our dental insurance and direct billing page.
Helpful Cowan and Dental Benefits Resources
For plan details and claims, go straight to Cowan. These independent guides explain how dental benefits work:
- Cowan Insurance GroupGroup benefits claims pagecowangroup.ca ↗
- Canadian Life and Health Insurance AssociationConsumer guides to health and dental insuranceclhia.ca ↗
- Canadian Life and Health Insurance AssociationGuide to understanding coordination of benefitsclhia.ca ↗
- Government of CanadaCanadian Dental Care Plancanada.ca ↗
Cowan Dental Coverage in Mississauga: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for most of their plans. We send the claim electronically at your visit, and you pay only the portion your plan doesn't cover. A few plans pay you rather than the clinic; we still submit the claim for you and tell you before your visit.
Some plans include orthodontic coverage for braces or Invisalign, often with a lifetime maximum and sometimes only for children. We'll send a predetermination so you know what your plan pays before you start.
Some plans cover part of an implant as major care, while others cover a bridge or denture instead. A predetermination shows exactly what your plan will pay before treatment.
Usually only your share, such as the part your plan pays at a lower rate or anything over your yearly maximum. We explain the amount before treatment.
Most plans cover root canals as basic or major care and crowns as major care, usually at a lower rate. We'll confirm your plan's coverage and send a predetermination for crowns.
Most plans cover complete and partial dentures as major care, often with a limit on how often they're replaced. Relines and repairs are usually covered too.
Usually not. Whitening is cosmetic, so most plans don't pay for it. Your checkup and cleaning before whitening usually are covered.
You don't need to. We submit your Cowan dental claim for you at your visit. You can then check it, and what your plan paid, in the Cowan member website or the contact details on your plan card.
No. UHIP is health coverage similar to OHIP. Checkups, cleanings and fillings come under your university's supplementary health and dental plan. UHIP covers wisdom teeth only in rare cases that need a hospital.
Cowan is a benefits firm. It advises employers and also administers plans and pays claims, often for plans underwritten by insurers such as Manulife. Your card shows where claims go.
Cowan's claim form recommends approval before any service over $500. We send the treatment plan for you before we start.
Cowan's group benefits line is 1-888-509-7797, or (613) 741-3313 in Ottawa, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Direct Billing
Ready to Use Your Cowan Coverage?
Book a checkup, cleaning or treatment at our Mississauga dental clinic. Call us at 905-567-6891 and have your plan details handy.
- Cowan plans accepted for new and existing patients
- Open 7 days, including evenings and Sundays
