Free dental for kids: the CDBS explained for Toowoomba parents

What the CDBS is

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is an Australian Government program, run through Medicare, that pays for basic dental care for eligible children aged 0–17. For benefit periods starting from 1 January 2026, it covers up to $1,158 per child over two consecutive calendar years (periods that began in 2025 keep the previous $1,132 cap). The cap is indexed each January.

Two details parents often miss: it's per child, not per family — three eligible kids means three separate benefit allowances — and unused balance does not roll over into the next two-year period. Money left unclaimed at the end of the cycle is simply lost.

Who's eligible

A child is generally eligible in a calendar year if they're aged 0–17 at some point that year, they're eligible for Medicare, and the family receives Family Tax Benefit Part A or another relevant government payment (such as Parenting Payment) for at least part of the year. Eligibility is assessed each calendar year — Services Australia usually notifies eligible families, but plenty of letters go unread, so it's always worth checking.

What it covers (and what it doesn't)

The CDBS covers the everyday dentistry kids actually need: examinations, X-rays, cleans, fissure sealants, fillings, root canal treatment and extractions. It does not cover orthodontics (braces or aligners), cosmetic treatment, or treatment in hospital.

When a service is bulk billed under the CDBS, you cannot be charged a co-payment for it — covered means covered, with nothing out of pocket for that service. If your child needs something outside the schedule, or the cap runs out mid-treatment, the practice must tell you the costs before going ahead so there are no surprises.

How to check your child's eligibility and balance

You can check through your Medicare online account in myGov, the Express Plus Medicare app, or by calling Medicare. Or take the easier route: ask us when you book. We check CDBS eligibility and remaining balance for our patients as a matter of routine — it takes us moments, and it means you know exactly where you stand before the appointment.

How to get the most out of it

Don't save it for emergencies. The scheme is designed for prevention — regular check-ups, cleans and sealants — which is precisely what stops kids ever needing the bigger items. Using the benefit for six-monthly visits is using it exactly as intended.

Mind the two-year clock. Because unused balance vanishes at the end of the period, a family that skips visits for two years simply donates that benefit back. Two check-ups a year per child barely dents the cap and builds the habit that matters most.

Start young. Early, easy, positive visits are how children avoid becoming the anxious adult patients we wrote about in our dental anxiety guide. A child whose first dental memories are boring is a child set up for life.

Using the CDBS at Southside Dental

We treat CDBS-eligible kids at our Kearneys Spring practice and handle the Medicare side for you — tell us when booking (or just ask us to check), and we'll confirm eligibility and remaining balance before you come in. Questions? Get in touch or call 07 4635 1444.