CDBS

The Commonwealth Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a dental benefits program for eligible children aged 2–17 years that provides benefits over two years to the child for basic dental services.

A child is eligible if they are aged 2–17 years, are eligible for Medicare and receive Family Tax Benefit Part A or other relevant Australian Government payments, including:

Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY, Disability Support Pension, Parenting Payment Special Benefit, Carer Payment, Double Orphan Pension, Veteran's Children Education Scheme, if the child is 16 or over Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme (if the child is 16 or over).

Eligible families should have received a letter to confirm eligibility from the Commonwealth Department of Human Services in January 2014.

You can also confirm your child's eligibility and balance amount by accessing your Medicare online account at my.gov.au or calling the Medicare general enquiries line on 132 011.

Benefits cover a range of dental services including examinations, x-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canal treatments and extractions. Benefits will not be available for orthodontic or cosmetic dental work and will not be paid for any dental services provided in a hospital operating theatre or oral surgery environment.

If you receive your dental treatment in a public clinic your claim will be bulk billed via Medicare and you will have no out-of-pocket costs. You do not need to submit a Medicare claim. No patient co-payment is required.

Your children can receive treatment at any public dental clinic in Victoria.

Find your local public dental clinic

No, your children will not be placed on a dental waiting list to receive treatment in a public clinic. You will be offered the next available appointment.

Benefits for basic dental services are capped over two consecutive calendar years. If you do not use all of your benefit in the first year of eligibility, you can use it in the second year if you are still eligible.

Any remaining balance will not be carried forward at the end of the second year.

Your children will still be eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule even if Government payments' eligibility changes throughout the year, as you only need to be receiving benefits at some point throughout the year.

Yes, all dental practices will be able to check patient eligibility by contacting Medicare.

Yes, all dental practices will be able to check patients remaining benefits balance by contacting Medicare.

Dental practices will be encouraged to check each patient's balance at each appointment.

The 2 year period commences at the start of the calendar year, not from the first appointment date.

The benefits can only be used by the eligible patient. Benefits cannot be shared amongst family members.

No, patients with private health insurance are unable to claim benefits from both their health fund and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule for the same treatment.

Community dental clinics will complete your child's general dental care.

The Child Dental Benefits Scheme commenced 1 January 2014.

If your child is turning 2 or 18 at any time throughout the year, they will be eligible that year, for the full year, even when they are aged 1 or 18.

The Government will advise families throughout the year when newly eligible children are identified.

Yes, patients can use their full benefits within the first year if required, but this will leave no funds available for the second year. Community dental clinics will still treat eligible families in that second year.

Any remaining benefits from the first year will be carried over to the second year.

If the full amount is not used within two calendar years, remaining benefits cannot be used in the future.

Treatment performed as an inpatient at hospitals cannot be claimed from the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.

Contact your local community dental clinic and make an appointment.

All community dental clinics will treat all children eligible for Child Dental Benefits Schedule.

Yes, your child can access other dental treatments that cannot be claimed in the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.

Contact your local public dental clinic for more information.

Yes, you may choose to visit a private dentist to claim CDBS benefits.

We encourage you to use these funds at a Public Dental Clinic where your child will benefit from high quality oral health care and ongoing continuity of care. In addition, by using the Public Dental Service, you will be providing your valued support to ensure the existence of public dental services for the future.

We have been treating children for almost 100 years. Last year we treated almost 140,000 children throughout the state.

Our aim is to improve the oral health of all Victorians, particularly vulnerable groups and those most in need.

When you use CDBS at a public dental clinic you are helping us build a stronger public dental system for the future. Treating more patients under the CDBS will provide additional funding from the Commonwealth Government. This funding can be used to maintain and enhance our services, and so enable us to see more patients including those groups most in need – such as children, the aged, refugees and asylum seekers, homeless and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

With your support today we can build a strong public dental service for tomorrow.

Yes, you will receive the same type of treatment. As occurs in private practices, public dental clinics employ qualified dentists and therapists to treat their patients, and on occasions students with the consent and knowledge of the patient. All public dental clinics are committed to providing the best appropriate oral health care for their patients.