Government Assistance
You may be entitled to a government funded subsidy
Child Dental Benefits Schedule
As a parent, making sure your child is as healthy as possible is understandably one of your highest priorities.
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) has been introduced by the federal government to make that task a little easier if you receive benefits such as Family Tax Benefit A payments. The CDBS helps you keep your kids’ teeth in great shape by providing you with up to $1,052 that you can use over a two calendar year period on any of these included services:
- check-ups
- X-rays
- cleaning
- fissure sealing
- fillings
- root canals
- extractions
Preferred Providers
Your child’s eligibility
We encourage parents to make full use of it because good dental care habits formed during childhood are likely to benefit your child for life.
Your child is deemed eligible for the CDBS by Medicare
- They’re within the applicable age range for at least some of that year
- They qualify for Medicare;
- and you receive either Family Tax Benefit Part A, Parenting payment or Double Orphan Pension payments for at least some of that year.
Your child can still access CDBS services throughout a particular calendar year regardless even if your circumstances change. Even so, it’s still worth confirming with Medicare that your child still qualifies for CDBS before phoning your dentist to book an appointment.
Keep in mind that not all dentists perform services under the CDBS; it’s best to check with your dentist if they do prior to booking in for treatment.
Using your $1,052 allocation
To ensure that you’re aware of the costs upfront, your dentist will explain all probable expenses and get your consent in writing before treatment begins. 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 two calendar years.
If you’re not sure how much of your allocation you have left to use, your dentist can look that up for you, and let you know if you’ll be up for any out-of-pocket expenses.
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.
The content on the LifeCare Dental website is provided for education and information purposes only. Information about therapy, service, product or treatment does not imply endorsement and is not intended to replace advice received from your dentist, doctor or other registered health professionals. LifeCare Dental makes no claim as to the accuracy or authenticity of this content.
Additionally, LifeCare Dental does not accept liability to any person for the information or advice provided on this website or incorporated into it by reference. Content has been prepared for Western Australian residents and wider Australian audiences, and was accurate at the time of publication. Readers should note that, over time, currency and completeness of the information may change. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions.