Child Dental Benefits Schedule calculator: benefit and remaining cap

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a Medicare program that pays benefits for basic dental services for eligible children and teenagers. Services Australia says a child can get it when they are eligible for Medicare, are aged 0 to 17 for at least one day of the calendar year, and they or their parent, carer or guardian get an eligible payment at least once that year. Eligible payments include Family Tax Benefit Part A and Parenting Payment, among others. You do not need to apply: if your child is eligible, Services Australia sends you a letter.

Benefits are capped over two consecutive calendar years. According to Services Australia, the cap is up to $1,132 if 2025 is year one of the period and up to $1,158 if 2026 is year one. The two-year period starts at the beginning of the calendar year in which your child both becomes eligible and gets their first dental service. The Australian Dental Association confirms that a child whose period began in 2025 keeps the $1,132 cap even if treatment continues into 2026.

Services Australia lists the basic dental services covered under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule: check-ups, X-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals and extractions. Healthdirect describes these as standard dental services for eligible children. Some services have item or time restrictions, so Services Australia suggests checking with your dentist before treatment starts. CDBS services also do not count towards the thresholds of the Medicare Safety Net or the Extended Medicare Safety Net. Ask the practice which of the planned items the CDBS covers.

Some care is excluded. The CDBS does not cover orthodontic work, cosmetic dental work or any dental services provided in a hospital. If you do not use the full amount within the two calendar years, the remaining funds cannot be used, and a new period has to start. Your child also cannot use remaining funds once they are no longer eligible. That is why this calculator shows how much of the cap is left after the planned treatment.

• Covered: check-ups, X-rays, cleaning and fissure sealing
• Covered: fillings, root canals and extractions
• Not covered: orthodontics such as braces
• Not covered: cosmetic dental work or dental services in hospital

Before an appointment, Services Australia suggests checking how close you are to the cap. If your Medicare online account is linked to myGov, sign in and select History and statements, then Child Dental Benefits Schedule, to see the balance. You can also call the Medicare program line. When you book, say you want to use the CDBS. You do not have to bring the eligibility letter, because the dentist checks eligibility and the available amount at the appointment.

At the appointment, ask what each service will cost and whether the CDBS covers it. You will get a consent form showing the services and their cost, which you sign if you agree. Healthdirect notes that most CDBS services are bulk billed, so you do not pay anything. If the dentist bulk bills, you do not need to pay or claim. Some dentists bill you on the day and you then claim the benefit, often straight away at the practice. Any amount above the benefit is yours to pay.