To ease the burden, many families can access $1000 per eligible child to cover basic services over two years through Medicare’s Child Dental Benefits Schedule, or CDBS. You may even have already received information about this government dental scheme by regular post or email.
Is my child eligible?
Children must be between 2 and 17 years old and qualify for Medicare to receive the CDBS.
Recipients of Family Tax Benefit Part A, Parenting Payment or Double Orphan Pension Payments are also entitled to it.
If you’re not sure whether that’s you, finding out is as easy as calling Medicare; they can check your Child Dental Benefits eligibility and let you know. You can also check online, here.
How to use the Child Dental Benefits Schedule
Once you’ve found out if your child is eligible, you can go ahead and book with your dentist.
It’s worth getting in touch with your nearest clinics and asking if they participate in the CDBS and can bulk bill your child’s treatment. If they do, it will save you the extra step of lodging a refund claim with Medicare afterwards.
At Grand Arcade Dental Care, we offer bulk billing, so if you are one of our patients, you are already one step ahead.
What does the $1000 cover?
The CDBS covers basic dental services up to the value of $1000 over two years.
Mostly, this means:
- Dental check-ups and cleaning
- Fillings
- Sealants
- X-rays if needed
- Root Canal Therapy
More complex procedures like straightening teeth (orthodontics), cosmetic work, or any treatment that might need to be carried out in a hospital are not covered. Your dentist will know whether your child’s treatment is covered and will be happy to advise you.
If your child doesn’t need any treatments, the $1000 will easily cover the cost of six-monthly check-ups and dental cleans for the two year period.
If your child does need something taken care of, your dentist will discuss a treatment plan with you and tell you how much it will cost. You can use the $1000 all at once or spread it out over two years.
Give your child the benefits of dental health
Significant research has shown that the earlier children start visiting the dentist regularly, the healthier their teeth are in adult life.
Six-monthly check-ups allow dentists to spot any issues early and help parents treat them, rather than running into complex problems that need uncomfortable and costly treatments down the track.
Decay can occur at any age, even in toddlers, and it can cause a range of other health problems. That’s why it’s extremely important to take good care of your child’s baby teeth, even though they will eventually fall out.
A cavity prevention plan will arm you with the right knowledge.
At The Grand Arcade Dental Surgery, we are committed to supporting you and your family in every way. Feel free to ask Dr Arora or any of the team if you are unsure about anything at all.
Healthy, strong teeth are a great gift that you can easily give your child. We are here to help.
