It is important to start looking after your baby’s teeth as soon as they come through. Visiting the dentist regularly is one part of good dental care. The Australian Government covers the cost of basic dental services for about 3 million children aged 2 to 17. The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a scheme run by Medicare that provides eligible children up to $1,000 over 2 calendar years to pay for a range of dental services. It’s for at families who are already receiving other benefits, such as Family Tax Benefit A payments.
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule can be used for minor & major dental work such as checkups, routine cleans, removals, fillings or root canals. You are not able to use it for orthodontic treatment (braces), hospital dental work or any cosmetic dentistry.
Not all dentists provide services under CDBS but here at Coomera Dental Centre (CDC) we do. Usually the government will issue out a letter advising of the child eligibility and that they are entitled to use the scheme, comprised of the $1000. However, if you are unsure if your child is eligible please make sure you contact Medicare to find out.
How it works at CDC is you provide us with your child’s Medicare card number and personal reference number at the time of making a booking. On the day of the appointment we will check that your child is still eligible and what their balance is by using the CDBS checking system. All that is required of you when you attend the appointment is a signature giving us permission to bulk bill (reduced fees paid by the government, directly to a practice). We can’t stress enough to ensure that they are eligible before attending the appointment otherwise you will need to pay for the appointment upfront.
This is a wonderful scheme put in place by the government to help cover the cost of important healthcare for families. We strongly encourage you to utilize it and get your children in for their regular 6 monthly check and cleans, creating good habits which aids in good oral health throughout their lifetime. If you are unsure if your child is covered give the team at Coomera Dental Centre a call on 07 5580 4811 and we can check the eligibility for you.