While the Easter Bunny may be busy filling baskets with sweets, your child’s dental care doesn’t have to fall by the wayside, especially when they could be getting free dental work.
Ever heard of the Child Dental Benefit Schedule? I know it sounds like a mouthful, but this money can cover part or the full cost of many basic dental services for children 17 and under.
It could save families up to $9,800 in coverage by the time their kids turn 17 – but I’ll explain more about this later.
Around 2 million children are eligible for Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS), but only half use it.
That’s a lot of kids missing out, and it’s concerning because poor oral health can lead to some serious health problems, and at the same time, families are missing out on vital financial help.
We’ve just done a big mailout to over a million families to tell them they could get CDBS – so if you’re a parent and are getting a payment from us, then it’s likely your child or children are eligible.
And with chocolate eggs set to be cracked open all weekend, it’s a great time to get those smiles ready for Easter family photos.
What is CDBS and how much can I get?
The CDBS is about helping families with the cost of dental services to improve access for children.
CDBS can save families up to $1,158 every two years, which could be over $9,800 in coverage by the time they turn 17. That’s a pretty sweet surprise for your wallet, and no bunny is asking you to hunt for it.
Just remember this coverage doesn’t roll over, you use it or lose it.
A lot of people might not realise you can get CDBS for services at most private dentists, not just through the public dental system.
It covers part or the full cost of many basic dental services, such as:
- Check-ups
- X-rays
- Cleaning
- Fissure sealing – which is a protective coating put on teeth to help prevent tooth decay
- Fillings
- Root canals
- Extractions.
You can’t claim orthodontics, cosmetics, or hospital dental services.
Who is eligible?
Your child must be between 0 and 17 years old for at least one day that calendar year.
They need to be eligible for Medicare and get an eligible payment from us at least once a year, or have a parent, carer or guardian getting a payment from us at least once per year.
Eligible payments include Family Tax Benefit Part A, Parenting Payment, Disability Support Pension, Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY. To learn more about CDBS eligibility, head to our website.
If your child is eligible, we’ll send you a letter.
You can also check if your child is eligible through your Medicare online account in myGov. Sign in and select History and Statements, then Child Dental Benefit Schedule.
How do I claim?
There’s no paperwork required – it works the same way as other Medicare claims.
Just make an appointment with your dentist and tell them you want to use the CDBS and they will work it out for you.
Some dentists give you a bill to pay on the day of the service. You can then claim a benefit from us.
If the dentist bulk bills you don’t need to pay or claim. If you have the myGov app, you can click onto the Medicare tab and scroll down to the Child Dental Benefits Schedule section and see how much you have left in your balance.
Alternatively, you can log onto the myGov website, go to Medicare in your linked services, and then go to History and Statements, where you’ll see the remaining balance.
You can also ask your dentist to check your balance through their system and ask if there are any services worth doing before the year is up.
Hop over to healthdirect.gov.au and check the ‘services finder’ tool to track down a bulk-billing dentist near you.
Originally published by Yahoo Finance on 2 April 2026.