Affordable Child Dental Care with CDBS at Enso Dental North Perth

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a government program in Australia designed to help eligible families cover the cost of their children’s dental services. As we’ve mentioned earlier, it provides up to $1,095 over two consecutive calendar years for various dental treatments.

Eligibility criteria for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule include:

• Children must be aged between zero and 17 on at least one day of the calendar year.
• The child’s family must receive certain government benefits, such as the Family Tax Benefit Part A. This is applicable if you or they receive it at least once that calendar year.
• The child must be eligible for Medicare.

Each year in January, eligibility for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule is assessed by Medicare. Here’s how you can check whether your child is eligible:

• Annual notification:
  If your child is eligible, you will receive a letter from Medicare confirming this.
• Access your online accounts:
  Log in to your myGov account and link it to Medicare. This portal allows you to check your child’s eligibility status quickly.
• Medicare Express app:
  Alternatively, you can use the Medicare Express Plus mobile app. It offers a convenient method to check eligibility directly from your phone.
• Contact Medicare:
  If you prefer, you can also directly contact the Medicare program via call or visit a service centre for assistance.

These options provide easy ways to verify your child’s eligibility for CDBS.

As parents, it’s important to know the list of dental services that CDBS covers before proceeding with any dental treatment for your little one. Listed below are some of the dental services that are included in the Child Dental Benefits Schedule cover:

• Dental examinations:
  Regular dental check-ups to monitor oral health.
• Teeth cleaning:
  Professional dental cleaning services to maintain dental hygiene.
• X-rays:
  This is an essential tool for diagnosing dental problems that are not visible to the naked eye.
• Fissure sealing:
  Fissure sealing is a preventive dental treatment that dentists apply to each tooth to protect it from decay.
• Tooth fillings:
  This is a dental procedure that applies filling materials to the affected tooth to halt cavities and restore tooth structure.
• Root canal therapy:
  This treatment is covered under the CDBS program and is often necessary for addressing severe tooth decay or infection.
• Tooth extractions:
  A procedure that involves the extraction of severely decayed teeth.

It’s important to note that these dental services may be subject to the Child Dental Benefits Schedule’s cap and other conditions. To confirm whether your child’s treatment is covered, you may ask the dentist at our clinic during a consultation. This way, you can prepare your budget beforehand and be knowledgeable about the extent of the benefit cover.

Accessing the Child Dental Benefits Schedule at Enso Dental North Perth is a straightforward process. Check out the following steps on how you can use this dental benefit for your child’s treatment:

• Verify eligibility:
  The first step is to confirm if your child is eligible for the CDBS. As we’ve mentioned earlier, this can be done through your myGov account linked to Medicare, where you can check your child’s eligibility status. If eligible, Medicare often sends families a letter at the beginning of the year.
• Book an appointment:
  Contact Enso Dental North Perth and schedule a dental appointment for your child. Inform us that you’d like to use the CDBS for the visit.
• At the dental clinic:
  During the appointment, let our staff know you’re accessing CDBS benefits. Simply present your valid Medicare card and any other necessary documentation, such as the eligibility letter, if you have one. This will allow us to confirm your child’s eligibility.
• Discussion of covered dental treatment:
  The dental professionals at the clinic will discuss the planned treatment and explain if it’s covered under CDBS. We will also discuss any costs that the program might not cover.
• Billing and claims:
  After the service, Enso Dental North Perth will process the billing. We can claim the costs directly from Medicare, making the process seamless for you.

You can use CDBS benefits over two consecutive calendar years, up to a total of $1,095. This means that once your child begins using their CDBS benefits, you can access these funds within those two years.

For instance, if your child starts using the CDBS in April 2024, you can access the benefits until March 2026. If the full $1,000 isn’t used in the first year (by December 2024), the remaining balance is available until the end of the second year (March 2026). However, if the entire cap amount is not used by March 2026, the remaining balance is no longer available.

When booking your kid’s dental appointment, let us know if you wish to use CDBS benefits. This can essentially help us prepare for the billing process. On the day of your visit, bring your Medicare card, which we need in order to process the claim.

Once your child receives their dental treatment under CDBS at our clinic, we handle the claim submission directly to Medicare. This means you don’t need to worry about upfront payments for services covered by the CDBS.

Then, following the submission of the claim, Medicare will process it. We stay informed about the progress and will notify you about any outstanding balance, if applicable, that the CDBS does not cover.