The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) has been introduced by the federal government to encourage earlier prevention of dental disease in children under 17 years old.

The CDBS helps you keep children’s teeth in great shape by providing eligible families with up to $1000 over 2 calendar years, per eligible child. This payment can be used on a range of dental services including examinations, routine cleaning, fillings, and root canals.

What the CDBS doesn’t cover, is orthodontic (the straightening of crooked teeth), cosmetic dental procedures (the restoration or replacement of damaged or missing teeth), or any work that might need to be done in a hospital.

Your child is deemed eligible for the CDBS by Medicare if:

• They’re within the applicable age range for at least some of that year (2-17 years old);
• They qualify for Medicare;
• You are already receiving a Government Benefit (such as the Family Tax Benefit A).

To ensure that you’re aware of the costs upfront, your dentist will explain all probable expenses and get your consent in writing. If there’s any additional work needed following the initial examination, the costs will again be outlined and your consent obtained. This means you can then decide how quickly or slowly you use your $1000 allocation; you can use it all at once if you need to or, spread the spending out over the 2 years.

If you’re not sure how much of your allocation you have left to use, our friendly reception team can look this up for you.

To learn more about this beneficial program, and whether your child is eligible, call Medicare on 132 011 or visit the Department of Human Services website.