In January 2014, the Australian Government introduced the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS). This schedule is designed to help all children have fair access to basic dental services. Under the CDBS, a child may be eligible for up to $1000 of free dental work over a period of two consecutive calendar years.
What is covered under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule?
The CBDS will cover a range of services, including:
- Examinations
- Cleaning
- X-rays
- Fillings
- Fissure Sealing
- Extractions
- Root Canals
The CDBS does not count towards the Medicare Safety Net or the Extended Medicare Safety Net thresholds.
What is not covered under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule?
The CBDS does not cover:
- Orthodontic work
- Cosmetic dentistry
- Any services provided in a hospital
Is my child eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule?
To be eligible for the CDBS, a child must be:
- Between the ages of 2 and 17 for a minimum of one day of the calendar year
- eligible for medicare
- and for at least one day of the calendar year, you, or your child must be the recipient of some form of financial assistance from the government. The full list of payment lists that will make you eligible for the CDBS are available from the Australian Department of Human Services.
To find out more about the CDBS, including how to claim the CDBS and for a variety of other resources, make sure you check out the Department of Human Services website.
