The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) provides care for children aged 0-17 years who are eligible for Medicare and whose parents/carer/guardian receive an eligible payment from the federal government. Additionally, teenager's partners who receive an eligible payment from the government can access the service.

Eligible recipients are given an allocation of up to $1,132 over a two-calendar year period which can be used on a range of services including exams, x-rays, fillings and root canals (excluding orthodontic or cosmetic dental procedures). See the full list of services, commencing page 19 in Attachment A: Dental Benefits Schedule.

CDBS is a valuable service, created as a direct result of ADA advocacy on children's oral health services, which provides low-income families with access to vital dental services. You are encouraged to make it available to patients in your practice.

Who can provide services? 

If you are registered with the Dental Board of Australia and hold a Medicare provider number, you can provide services under the CDBS. Before any services commence, however, the eligibility of the child for the CDBS must be confirmed, and the remaining amount of funds in their allocation verified. 

This can be done online at Health Professionals Online Services. 

Verifying if a child is eligible for the service, and how much money they have remaining in their allocation must be done before treatment commences. Patients can’t carry any unused portions remaining at the end of the two-year period through to the next period. 

For more information, visit CDBS – Guide to the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.

These video, socials and posters resources were developed by ADA's South Australian Branch and are available for your use.