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Plenty of eligible families have never heard of the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, and plenty more have heard the name but assume it will not apply to them. In reality, it is one of the only places where Commonwealth funding goes directly toward dental care, and for families who qualify, it can meaningfully reduce the cost of getting a child’s teeth checked and treated.
In plain terms, CDBS is a capped Commonwealth benefit that helps cover basic dental services for eligible children. This guide walks through who qualifies, what is and is not covered, how the benefit cap works, and what actually happens when you book an appointment. If you already know your child is eligible and want to book, you can go straight to our bulk billing kids dentist page.
CDBS is a Commonwealth program, administered through Medicare in partnership with Services Australia and the Department of Health, that helps cover the cost of basic dental services for eligible children. It sits apart from most Medicare arrangements, since general dental care for adults is not typically covered by Medicare at all, which makes CDBS one of the few areas where this kind of Commonwealth support exists for dental treatment specifically.
The idea behind the scheme is straightforward. A child who has regular access to basic preventive and restorative dental care is far less likely to need complex, expensive treatment later. CDBS is designed to remove cost as a barrier to that early care for families who receive certain government payments.
Importantly, CDBS is not assessed directly against household income. Eligibility runs through whether the family receives specific government payments during the calendar year, which is a different test to a straightforward income means test.
Eligibility comes down to three conditions, and all three need to be met in the same calendar year for a child to qualify.
Eligibility is reassessed every year, not granted once and forgotten. A family whose circumstances changed since last year, for better or worse, may find their child’s eligibility has changed too.
Checking is straightforward and does not require guesswork:
A number of families assume their child is not eligible when the situation is actually more nuanced. The most common reasons a child does not currently qualify include:
None of these are necessarily permanent. Because eligibility is reassessed annually, a child who does not qualify this year may become eligible again if the family’s circumstances change, for example if a payment like Family Tax Benefit Part A starts being received again.
CDBS provides a capped dollar amount per eligible child, calculated over a two-year period rather than reset annually. The two-year period begins on 1 January of the year the child first receives an eligible dental service. From that point, the family can use the benefit across both calendar years of the cycle, but any unused amount does not carry over once the two-year period ends.
The exact cap is set by Services Australia and indexed each year on 1 January. Because the amount can differ depending on which year a child’s two-year cycle began, this guide does not quote a fixed figure. The most reliable way to confirm the current amount for your child is to check with Services Australia directly, or ask your dental practice to confirm it for you.
Once the benefit cap for that two-year period has been used, any further treatment becomes a private cost, or may be covered in part by private health insurance if the family holds relevant cover. A new two-year cycle can begin once the current one finishes, provided the family still meets the eligibility criteria at that point.
CDBS is designed around basic, preventive, and restorative dental care rather than specialist or elective treatment. Services commonly covered include:
These are the kinds of services covered under general children’s dentistry, which is why CDBS and a child’s regular dental care tend to overlap closely.
CDBS does not cover everything a child’s teeth might need. Services excluded from the schedule include:
Parents planning ahead for orthodontic treatment should not assume CDBS will contribute toward it. That is a separate cost to budget for, and it is worth discussing early with your dentist so there are no surprises later.
This is one of the most common points of confusion, and it is worth clearing up properly.
CDBS is the Commonwealth benefit itself, a capped entitlement your child either does or does not qualify for. Bulk billing is a payment method that a dental practice chooses to offer against that entitlement, meaning the practice claims the benefit directly from Medicare rather than asking the parent to pay upfront and claim it back.
Not every dental practice bulk bills CDBS services, even if a child is eligible for the scheme. It is always worth confirming with a practice before booking whether they bulk bill CDBS. Warner Dental does bulk bill eligible CDBS services, meaning eligible families are not asked to pay out of pocket for covered treatment at the time of the appointment. You can read more on our bulk billing kids dentist page, and our payment options page outlines the other funding and payment methods available at our clinic, including health fund claiming through HICAPS, Department of Veterans’ Affairs support, Queensland Health dental vouchers for eligible concession card holders, and interest free payment plans for treatment that falls outside CDBS.
Using the benefit at your appointment is more straightforward than many parents expect. Here is how it works in practice.
Using the benefit is simpler than many parents expect. In practice, it usually looks like this:
A few quick questions before your first appointment can avoid any confusion later:
Warner Dental provides bulk billing for eligible CDBS services, so families do not need to pay out of pocket for covered treatment at the time of the visit, up to the benefit limit. Our team can check a child’s eligibility directly, either when you make the booking or at the appointment itself, and we will always let you know clearly what is and is not covered before any treatment begins.
We see families across Warner and the surrounding suburbs, including those looking for a dentist near Bray Park, a dentist near Joyner, and a dentist near Lawnton. New patients are always welcome, and you can find out more or book through our new patients page.
To check your child’s eligibility or book an appointment, call us on (07) 3882 3200 or visit our bulk billing kids dentist page.
Treatment is provided by dental practitioners registered with the Dental Board of Australia. All information in this guide is general in nature, and individual eligibility and coverage should always be confirmed directly with Services Australia or your dental practice before treatment begins.
Note: CDBS eligibility is reassessed every calendar year, and the benefit cap is indexed annually, so figures can change. This guide explains how the scheme works in general terms. For the current benefit amount and to confirm your child’s specific eligibility, check directly with Services Australia or speak with your dental practice.
FAQs
CDBS is a Commonwealth benefit that helps cover the cost of basic dental services for eligible children. It is administered through Medicare in partnership with Services Australia and is one of the few areas where Commonwealth funding goes directly toward dental care rather than general medical services.
A child needs to be aged 0 to 17 for at least one day of the calendar year, eligible for Medicare on the day of the dental service, and part of a family that receives an eligible government payment at some point that year, such as Family Tax Benefit Part A, Parenting Payment, Youth Allowance, or Carer Payment. Eligibility is reassessed every calendar year rather than granted permanently.
A child needs to be aged 0 to 17 for at least one day of the calendar year, eligible for Medicare on the day of the dental service, and part of a family that receives an eligible government payment at some point that year, such as Family Tax Benefit Part A, Parenting Payment, Youth Allowance, or Carer Payment. Eligibility is reassessed every calendar year rather than granted permanently.
The most common reasons are that no eligible government payment was received that calendar year, the child is not enrolled in Medicare, or a previous two-year benefit period has ended without a new qualifying payment starting a fresh cycle. Eligibility can change from year to year, so a child who does not currently qualify may become eligible again later.
CDBS provides a capped benefit amount per eligible child over a two-year period, not a fresh amount every single year. The cap is set and indexed annually by Services Australia, and the exact figure can vary depending on when a child’s two-year cycle began. For the current amount, check directly with Services Australia or ask your dental practice to confirm it for you.
CDBS generally covers basic dental services including check-ups, x-rays, cleaning, fillings, some root canal treatment, extractions, partial dentures, and fissure sealants, provided the treatment is clinically necessary.
CDBS does not cover orthodontic treatment such as braces or clear aligners, cosmetic dental work, or any dental service provided in a hospital setting. These need to be planned and paid for separately.
No, though the two are closely related. CDBS is the Commonwealth benefit itself. Bulk billing is a payment method a dental practice may choose to offer against that benefit, where the practice claims directly from Medicare so the family does not pay upfront. Not every practice bulk bills CDBS, so it is worth confirming before you book.
Any unused portion of the benefit does not carry over once the two-year period ends. A new two-year cycle can begin after that, provided the child still meets the eligibility criteria at the time.
No. Orthodontic treatment is specifically excluded from CDBS, along with cosmetic dental work and hospital based dental services. Families should plan and budget for orthodontic treatment separately from any CDBS benefit.
CDBS can generally be used at both private and public dental practices, but not every practice bulk bills the benefit, even where a child is eligible. It is worth confirming with your chosen practice whether they bulk bill CDBS before making a booking.
Bring your child’s Medicare card to the appointment. The practice will check eligibility and the remaining benefit balance, and if they bulk bill, as Warner Dental does, there is no payment required on the day for eligible services. If a practice does not bulk bill, you pay at the time and claim the benefit back from Medicare afterwards.
