Regular dental check-ups, preventive care and corrective treatments are important for helping kids and teenagers to keep their teeth healthy as they grow and to avoid common problems such as tooth decay.
Our dentists at Swish Family Dental believe all children should have access to quality dental care, whatever their circumstances. That's why we participate in Medicare's Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) to help families care for their children's teeth without worrying about the cost.
If your family isn't eligible for CBDS, your children may be covered by your health insurance if it includes dental cover. Talk to our friendly staff in Everton Park and Mitchelton to find out what you're eligible for
What is CDBS? The CDBS scheme has run since January 2014 and offers free basic dental services for children and teenagers in Australia aged 0 to 17 years.
This free allowance is currently capped at $1,132 over two consecutive calendar years. However much of the benefit is used, the cap resets after the two-year period for as long as your child is still eligible.
Who qualifies for free dental care?
The child dental benefits scheme was designed to help families with low income or receiving other benefits to access a high standard of dental care for their children.
To qualify for free kids' dental services through CDBS, you must:
- have a child aged 0 to 17 years for at least one day of the current calendar year
- receive Family Tax Benefit Part A or another relevant government payment on at least 1 day of the year
- be claiming for dental services covered by CBDS For full eligibility criteria and more details about CDBS, visit the Services Australia website.
How does CDBS work?
If your child is due for their regular check-up or another dental treatment, you may want to check how much of your CDBS balance is remaining by using the Medicare app or logging into your online account.
Our dentists will explain whether your child's visit will be covered by CDBS or whether you will have to cover any costs yourself. At Swish Family Dental, we offer bulk billing for Medicare payments to save you the time and trouble of having to make a claim yourself.
What dental treatments are free for kids?
It's important to know that CDBS doesn't cover all dental treatments, only those considered routine. This includes:
- Regular check-ups, teeth cleaning and x-rays
- Preventive treatments such as fluoride application and fissure sealants
- Restorative treatments such as fillings, root canal therapy and extractions
More complex treatments such as orthodontics, oral surgery and hospitalisations are not covered by CDBS. These may be covered by health insurance that includes dental cover with extras, depending on your policy. If you need some help managing your payments, we offer a choice of dental payment plans through trusted providers. These can break down a larger payment into regular instalments, usually with no interest to pay if you keep up with your repayments.
Talk to our family dentists in Brisbane
Our dentists at Swish Family Dental care for patients of all ages, and we'll let you know what services you're eligible to claim during your visit. Call our team in Everton Park on (07) 3355 1422 or our Mitchelton clinic on (07) 3354 3341 or book online.