Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS): FAQ for Mortlake families

What is the Child Dental Benefits Schedule?

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a Medicare program that pays benefits for some basic dental services for eligible children. Services Australia describes it as covering part or the full cost of some basic dental services when a family receives certain payments. Most dental care for adults is not paid by Medicare.

This page is a practical FAQ for parents and carers in Mortlake, and for families in nearby suburbs including Breakfast Point, Cabarita, Concord and Rhodes. It does not replace the official rules, and it does not quote a dollar cap or a list of item numbers. Read our Child Dental Benefits Schedule guide for the fuller explanation, then check Services Australia before you rely on a figure.

Who may be eligible?

A child may be eligible in a calendar year only when every condition set by Services Australia is met. Who can get it says the child must be eligible for Medicare, be aged 0 to 17 for at least one day of that calendar year, and the child or a parent, carer or guardian must receive an eligible payment at least once that year. You do not apply or register. If your child is eligible, Services Australia sends a letter.

Family Tax Benefit Part A is one payment that can qualify a child. Other payments are on the eligible payments page. Who receives the payment matters, so use that page for your situation rather than assuming another family’s letter applies to you.

Eligibility is assessed again each calendar year. Services Australia checks each January and keeps checking through the year. A letter from a previous year does not, by itself, confirm this year.

How do I check eligibility and the remaining balance?

When your Medicare online account is linked to myGov, Services Australia sets out these steps:

1. Sign in to myGov.
2. Select Medicare.
3. Select History and statements, then Child Dental Benefits Schedule.

You can also call the Medicare program line on 132 011. At the appointment, the practice can check eligibility and the available benefit. How to use the CDBS says you do not have to bring the eligibility letter for that check.

The benefit is capped over two consecutive calendar years. The cap is indexed, and the amount depends on when your child’s two-year period started. This FAQ does not quote a dollar figure. Current amounts, and what happens once the cap is used, are in our CDBS guide and on what’s covered.

What should we bring to AMK Dental Clinic?

Bring the Medicare card your child is listed on, and have the child’s full name and date of birth with you. You may bring the Services Australia letter if you still have it, but it is not required for the check above. A short list of medical conditions, allergies and medicines helps the dentist. If you have extras cover and some care may sit outside the CDBS, bring your health fund card.

For how a child’s first visit is usually paced, read what happens at a child’s first dental visit. Packing for an adult’s own first visit is a different list, on what to bring to your first dental visit.

Will the benefit cover the whole fee?

Not always. Services Australia says the program can cover part or the full cost of some basic dental services, only up to the cap. What’s covered also notes restrictions on some basic services, so ask the dentist about item or timing limits before a service starts. A benefit may cover part or all of a covered service. You may still pay a gap if the fee is higher than the benefit, if the cap has been used, or if the service is not included.

Not every dentist bulk bills. Services Australia says to ask when you book. If a dentist bulk bills a covered service, you do not pay or claim for that service. If they do not, you may pay on the day and claim the benefit. AMK Dental Clinic does not promise bulk billing on this page. Before treatment, we explain what each service costs and whether the CDBS covers it, and we ask you to sign a consent form that sets out the services and the cost. The same approach is on our fees and health funds page and our children’s dentistry page.

Some care sits outside the program. What’s covered names exclusions such as orthodontic treatment, cosmetic dental work and dental services in a hospital. If your child needs care the CDBS does not include, we will say so before you decide. How to claim says you cannot claim from Medicare and a health fund for the same dental service.

Where is the clinic, and how do nearby families book?

AMK Dental Clinic is at Shop 3, 46 Tennyson Road, Mortlake NSW 2137. The practice is in Mortlake. We also see families from nearby suburbs, including Breakfast Point, Cabarita, Concord and Rhodes. Call (02) 9739 6525 or book online. See opening hours on the Contact page. The practice website is www.amkdental.com.au.

When you book, say you would like to ask about the CDBS. The same outline is on our pages for Breakfast Point, Concord and Rhodes.

This article is general information only. It is not an assessment of your child’s eligibility and it is not a treatment plan. Services Australia decides eligibility. Your dentist will discuss what is suitable for your child before treatment goes ahead.

This article is general information only and is not a substitute for advice about your own situation. Please speak with a dentist about your needs.

Clinically reviewed by Dr Ali Khalessi (Dentist), BDS (Otago), PG Dip Clin Dent (Periodontology), MRACDS · Last reviewed 2 October 2026