Child Dental Benefit Schedule (CDBS)

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is an Australian Government dental funding initiative that commenced on 1 January 2014 and is designed to assist and improve the dental health of approximately 3 million Australian children aged 2-17 years.

For children who are eligible, they have will have access to a dental benefit cap of $1,000 to use on dental treatments over a two calendar year period.

Program information for families and what does it cover?

The CDBS provides a range of individual benefits of including:

• Dental examinations
• Teeth cleaning
• X-rays
• Fillings
• Fissure seals
• Extractions
• Root canal treatment

Please note. Some of these services have claiming restrictions. Benefits that are not covered by this program are orthodontic dental work, cosmetic dental work and any services provided within a hospital setting.

Which children are eligible for dental services?

The Government Scheme commenced on January 1st, 2014 and is available to all eligible Australian families with children aged between 2 and 17 years. To receive access to the benefit a child must also:

• Be eligible for Medicare on the day of service
• They must be receiving or be part of a family receiving, a relevant Australian Government payment, such as Family Tax Benefit Part A at any stage in the calendar year.

The Department of Human Services will assess a child’s eligibility from the start of each calendar year. For children who become eligible later in the calendar year, they will have their eligibility backdated to begin from 1 January of that calendar year.

How long does eligibility last?

Once a child has been assessed as eligible, they are eligible for that entire calendar year – even if they turn 18, or stop receiving the relevant government payment. However they must be eligible for Medicare on the day the service is provided.

Can I use my private health insurance in conjunction with the initiative?

Unfortunately, patients with private health insurance covering dental services are unable to claim a benefit from both their private health insurer and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule for the same dental treatment.

You can however still use private health insurance for other services not covered by this initiative, but these items will need to be billed separately.

How Can I Find Out If My Child Qualifies?

Families can check whether their child is eligible for the CDBS by calling Hello Smiles on (07) 3395 6944, by contacting Medicare on 132 011  or by contacting the Department of Human Services on 132 150.  General information about the program can also be found on the Department of Human Services website.

How do I book my child in?

The next step is contact Hello Smiles to book appointment for your child. It is at this appointment where we will be able to review and assess your child’s dental needs and discuss a suitable treatment options for them based on their needs.

We will then take you through the individual cost for the treatment and let you know any out-of-pocket expenses. There are some limitations to the schedule so we always aim to inform our patients as much as possible.

Questions?

If you have any questions relating to this program, please call us on (07) 3395 6944 or use the contact us via the form below and we be only too happy to answer them for you.