If your child is between 2 and 17 and your family receives Family Tax Benefit Part A, there’s a good chance you’re entitled to up to $1,095.60 in free dental care through Medicare — and many families in Mawson Lakes simply don’t know it exists.
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a federal government program that covers a wide range of essential dental services for eligible children. At Smile Spot Mawson Lakes, we bulk bill eligible CDBS patients, which means no out-of-pocket costs for covered services. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the Child Dental Benefits Schedule?
The CDBS is a Medicare program that provides up to $1,095.60 in dental benefits for eligible children over a two consecutive calendar year period. It’s not a voucher or a subsidy — it’s a benefit that comes directly through Medicare, just like any other Medicare service. Participating dental practices, like ours, can claim directly from Medicare on your behalf when they bulk bill.
The program has been running since 2014 and is designed to help families access preventive and general dental care without the cost being a barrier.
Is your child eligible?
Your child is eligible for the CDBS if they:
- Are aged 2 to 17 at any point during the relevant calendar year
- Are eligible for Medicare
- Are in a family that receives one of the qualifying government payments
The qualifying payments include:
- Family Tax Benefit Part A (the most common)
- Youth Allowance
- Austudy
- ABSTUDY Living Allowance
- Disability Support Pension
- Parenting Payment
- Carer Payment
You don’t need to be on a low income to receive Family Tax Benefit Part A — many working families receive it, particularly those with more than one child. If you’re not sure whether your family qualifies, it’s worth checking.
An important note on the benefit period: The $1,095.60 benefit covers a two consecutive calendar year period — it’s not an annual allowance. So if your child’s benefit period is 2025–2026, the full amount is available across those two years combined. Benefits don’t automatically reset each year from when you first claim.
What’s covered?
The CDBS covers a broad range of general dental services:
- Examinations — check-ups and oral health assessments
- X-rays — bitewing and periapical x-rays to check for decay and bone levels
- Cleaning and scale — removal of plaque and tartar build-up
- Fissure sealants — a preventive treatment that seals the grooves of back teeth to reduce the risk of decay
- Fillings — treating cavities in both baby teeth and adult teeth
- Root canal treatment — yes, this is covered for baby teeth when needed
- Extractions — removing teeth that can’t be saved
The program is focused on general dental health, so it covers the services children need most.
What isn’t covered?
The CDBS does not cover:
- Orthodontic treatment — braces, aligners, or retainers are not included
- Cosmetic dental procedures
- Dental treatment provided in a hospital
If your child needs orthodontic treatment, that will need to be arranged separately. Some health funds provide orthodontic cover — worth checking your policy if you have private health insurance.
How to check eligibility
There are three ways to check whether your child is eligible:
-
Medicare online account via myGov — log in to myGov, go to Medicare, and look for the CDBS section under ‘My health’ or ‘Benefits’. You should be able to see if your child is eligible and what balance remains.
-
Call Medicare directly on 132 011 — have your Medicare card ready.
-
Ask us at Smile Spot — when you book for your child, let reception know you’d like to use the CDBS and we can check eligibility on your behalf before the appointment.
We’d always recommend checking your balance before booking, especially if your child has had CDBS treatment at another practice. That way you know exactly where things stand.
How it works at Smile Spot Mawson Lakes
We bulk bill eligible CDBS patients, which means we claim directly from Medicare and you pay nothing out of pocket for covered services. There’s no paperwork for you to deal with at the desk.
Here’s what to bring:
- Your child’s Medicare card (or have your Medicare number ready)
- Any referral if you’ve been sent to us from another provider (though a referral isn’t required for CDBS)
When you arrive, let us know your child is an eligible CDBS patient. We’ll verify the benefit balance and proceed with treatment within the available entitlement.
If a recommended service isn’t covered by the CDBS (such as orthodontic work), we’ll let you know upfront before proceeding, so there are no surprises.
Why this matters in Mawson Lakes
Around 48% of households in the Mawson Lakes area include families with children — which means a significant proportion of families in our local area may be eligible for this benefit. In our experience, a surprising number of families either don’t know the program exists or aren’t sure how to use it.
We see children regularly where the CDBS has covered everything from a routine check-up and clean to fissure sealants on newly erupted adult teeth — preventive work that can genuinely make a difference to a child’s long-term dental health.
Early dental visits also help children get comfortable in the dental chair, which tends to make things easier for everyone as they grow up. If your child hasn’t had a dental check-up, the CDBS is a great prompt to get started.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the CDBS at any dentist? Not all dentists participate in the CDBS. At Smile Spot, we do — and we bulk bill eligible patients, so there’s no gap fee for covered services.
What if my child needs more than the benefit covers? We’ll always let you know before proceeding with any treatment that falls outside the CDBS or exceeds the remaining balance. You can choose how to proceed, and we can discuss payment options including DentiCare payment plans if needed.
Do both parents need to receive the qualifying payment? No. The CDBS eligibility is based on the child receiving the benefit through the family’s entitlement — one parent or guardian receiving the qualifying payment is sufficient.
My child is 17 — are they still eligible? Yes, as long as they turn 17 at some point during the calendar year, they’re eligible for that year’s benefit period.
If you’d like to book your child in for a check-up and find out what the CDBS covers for them, book an appointment online or call us on (08) 8258 0650. We’re open Monday to Thursday until 7pm, so after-school appointments are no problem. You can also read more about our children’s dentistry services and what to expect at a dental check-up.