Child Dental Benefits Schedule
Setting up children with healthy oral hygiene habits and ensuring they go to regular check-ups throughout their childhood is key to maintaining good oral health in the future.
We’re here to help your kids, with kindness, patience, and friendly faces that can help explain what’s going on in a way they can understand.
What is the Child Dental Benefits Schedule?
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a government-funded system that provides eligible children with financial assistance (capped at $1,132) for basic dental services over the space of two consecutive calendar years.
To be eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, your child must:
- Be aged between 2-17 years
- Be eligible for Medicare
- Receive, or be part of a family receiving, certain Australian Government payments.
About the CDBS
You can claim up to $1,132 for each child over 2 consecutive calendar years. You can use the full amount in the first year however this will leave no funds for the second year. If you don't use the full $1,132 in the first year, you can use it in the second year but only if your child remains eligible.
The two-year period starts at the beginning of the calendar year in which your child both:
- Becomes eligible
- Gets their first dental service
If you don't use the full amount within the two calendar years, you can't use the remaining funds. You'll have to wait for a new two-year cover period to start. You also won't be able to use any remaining funds once your child is no longer eligible.
What is covered with CDBS?
Services that receive a benefit under the CDBS include (some services have claiming restrictions):
- Regular check-up (including scale, clean and polish)
- X-rays (radiography)
- Dental fillings
- Tooth extractions
- Root canal treatment
Please note that benefits are not available for orthodontic or cosmetic dental work, and cannot be used to pay for any services provided in a hospital.
For more information regarding the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) and its eligibility, visit the Services Australia website, or call Medicare on 132 011.
Frequently asked questions
Children who do not qualify for the CDBS can still access complimentary public dental care if they fall into one of the following categories:
- Children aged 0–3 whose parents hold a valid Centrelink, Healthcare, or Pension Card
- Children aged 4 through to students in year 10
- Students in years 11 or 12 with a valid Centrelink, Healthcare, or Pension Card
Your child is eligible for CDBS if the following conditions are met: they qualify for Medicare, they are between 0 and 17 years old for at least one day in the calendar year, and either you or they receive an eligible payment at least once during that calendar year.
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a government-supported program that offers financial aid for qualified children (up to a limit of $1,095) over two consecutive calendar years.