As parents, we all want what’s best for our children. When it comes to dental hygiene and oral health, The Child Dental Benefits Schedule can help with this. In this article, we’ll take a look at The Child Dental Benefits Schedule, discussing what it covers, how it works and how you can check whether your child is eligible.
What is The Child Dental Benefits Schedule?
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (also known as the CDBS) began on the 1st January 2004. The CDBS provides you with up to $1,000 to use on a number of dental services for your child over a period of two calendar years.
It currently helps to provide access to benefits for dental services to around 3 million children between 2 and 17 years of age.
What Does the CDBS Cover?
The CDBS covers a range of services with individual benefits, including:
- Dental examinations
- X-Rays
- Teeth cleaning
- Fillings
- Root canals
- Extractions
- Fissure sealings
However, there are a range of services not covered by the CDBS, including:
- Orthodontic work
- Cosmetic dental work
- Services provided in hospitals
If you’re unsure about which services are covered, please do not hesitate to call us on (07) 3844 6071 or contact us.
How Do I Know if My Child is Eligible?
In order to be eligible for the CDBS, a child must be aged between 2 and 17, and their family must receive Family Tax Benefit Part A or a relevant Australian Government payment.
All eligible children have access to the full benefit cap of $1,000 over a period of two calendar years.
If you’re unsure whether your child is eligible, then you can check by contacting the Department of Human Services. You can also call Medicare on 132 011 or use your online account.
Using Your Allocation
Here at Highgate Hill Dental Centre, we can help ensure that you’re aware of any treatment costs upfront. This means that you’ll be fully aware of how much of your allocation you are using for consultations and treatments.
As well as explaining your probable expenses, we can also outline any costs for additional work following your examination, gaining your consent where required.
This means that you are in control of how you spend your allocation. You can spend your entire allocation in one, or you can spread it out over the full two-year period. The choice is yours.
If you have used the CDBS previously but are currently unsure of how much of your allocation you have remaining, then please let us know. We can find out this information for you and we can also ensure that you’re fully informed if the total bill for the treatment will surpass your allowance.
Book Your Child’s Appointment
At Highgate Hill Dental Centre, we work with patients young and old to ensure they have healthy gums and strong teeth for life. We use modern techniques and equipment, and we believe that regular visits to the dentist can be fun and prevent painful or expensive work. If you require any further information about the CDBS or would like to book an appointment for your child, please call us on (07) 3844 6071 or contact us.
About Our Author:
Dr Will Wang:
Dr Will Wang has been a dentist at Highgate Hill Dental Centre since 2008. He aims to make seeing the dentist a positive, happy experience for the whole family, and enjoys making it a fun visit for children. Will has a particular interest in preventative and restorative dentistry; and spends a lot of time explaining concepts to empower patients with the ability to maintain their own dental health between visits.
