Child Dental Benefits Schedule: Have you used your available benefits?

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is in full swing across all Pacific Smiles Dental centres. With an increase in child patient numbers at every centre, it’s great to see parents making use of the government benefits for their kids. Our dentists are proud to be helping local families improve their dental health. Since the initiative commenced in 2014 thousands of examinations, x-rays and fillings have seen the dental health of kids improve around Australia.

Many families are surprised to find that they are eligible for $1000 in free* kids dental. To be eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule children must be eligible for Medicare, must be between 2 and 17 years of age for at least 1 day of the calendar year, and the child or parent/guardian or carer must receive Family Tax Benefit Part A or another relevant government payment. To find out more about $1000 free* kids dental, read our Child Dental Benefits Schedule FAQs.

With the end of the calendar year quickly approaching it is important for parents to book their child in with a dentist for a check-up and for any required treatments. You should check your eligibility status through Medicare’s general enquiry line on 132 011, or we can check for you, with your consent.

If you would like us to check your child’s eligibility for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, please complete our online form. We will then get in contact with you, confirm your Medicare details, and let you know if your child is eligible.

A CDBS Recap

• Program commenced in January 2014 and first phase runs for two calendar years.
• Approximately 3.4 million Australian kids are expected to benefit from the government funded dental program.
• Kids aged between 2-17 years are eligible for the benefit – they also must be eligible for Medicare, and the family must be in receipt of Tax Benefit Part A or receive one of a number of qualifying Government payments. More information here.
• Each eligible child receives $1000 to use over a two calendar year period on basic dental services including dental check-ups, teeth cleaning, x-rays, fillings, fissure seals, tooth extractions, root canal treatment,  and partial dentures.
• IMPORTANT: The 2 calendar year period that CDBS is available for, commences at the start of the calendar year (2014), not from the first appointment date.

Eligibility questions?
If you know your children are eligible for this program, make an appointment to see a Dentist today at your local Pacific Smiles Dental.

If you are unsure of your child’s eligibility, simply call your nearest centre and have your Medicare details on hand, and we can find out over the phone for you.

If your children have already used some of their benefits and you are unsure how much of the $1000 remains, you can also call your local centre and our staff will advise over the phone how much of the benefit is still available for use. Again, have your Medicare details on hand.

Look after your kids’ dental health today – they’ll thank you for it later.