Child Dental Benefits Schedule — bulk billed at our practice

Many families are eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) without realising it. It's a Federal Government program that covers a set amount of dental care for eligible children, and at Adelaide Dental Solutions we bulk bill it — which means eligible families pay nothing out of pocket for the services it covers.

What the CDBS covers

The CDBS provides up to $1,158 per eligible child over a two-year period. It covers the everyday care most children need: examinations, X-rays, cleaning, fluoride treatments, fissure sealants, fillings, root canals and extractions. It does not cover orthodontic treatment or cosmetic dental work, and it can't be used for services provided in a hospital.

Who is eligible

To be eligible, a child needs to be aged 0–17 for at least one day of the calendar year, be eligible for Medicare, and the family needs to receive a qualifying payment such as Family Tax Benefit Part A for at least one day of that year. Services Australia assesses eligibility, not us — but we can check it for you in about a minute over the phone with your Medicare details, so you don't have to work it out yourself.

How it works here

Call us on (08) 8244 3677 with your Medicare card handy and we'll confirm your child's eligibility and remaining balance before the appointment. If they're eligible, we bulk bill the covered services directly to Medicare — there's nothing for you to claim back and no gap to pay for those items. If any treatment falls outside what the CDBS covers, we'll tell you before it's done and explain what it costs.

Balances reset on a two-year cycle and unused amounts don't roll over indefinitely, so it's worth checking where your child stands rather than assuming.

If your child has a dental emergency, see our emergency dentist page in Woodville for first-aid steps and what to do first.